Ludovica De Panfilis, PhD, researcher and ethicist. She has a PhD in Law and new technologies - Bioethics from the University of Bologna (Italy), a master's degree in Philosophical sciences, and a postgraduate course in Palliative Medicine. She is the Head of the Bioethics Unit of the Azienda USL - IRCCS (local health authority) in Reggio Emilia (Italy) and the Chair of the local health authority Clinical Ethics Committee. She is the author of several papers in international peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters.