Deborah Cattafesta

Deborah Cattafesta

I am Deborah Cattafesta, a PhD candidate working in the field of minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgery. My research focuses on the development of trustworthy, human-centered robotic systems, with particular attention to ergonomic and ethical aspects of human–robot interaction in the operating room.

My work specifically addresses surgeon ergonomics, with a focus on the analysis of upper-limb movements, including hands, forearms, and shoulders, during minimally invasive and robotic surgical procedures. I study how posture, repetitive gestures, and movement patterns contribute to different levels of physical and operational stress experienced by surgeons. Through motion analysis and the extraction of quantitative metrics, my research aims to support an objective assessment of ergonomics in surgical settings.

In parallel, I conduct research on the ethical evaluation of artificial intelligence systems in surgery, with a particular focus on transparency, explainability, and algorithm accountability. My work investigates the ethical implications of introducing autonomous or semi-autonomous robotic assistants in the operating room, aiming to ensure that algorithmic decisions and system behaviors are understandable, traceable, and aligned with clinical responsibility and patient safety.

Overall, my research contributes to the development of ethically responsible, reliable, and human-centered robotic technologies for surgical applications.