Dr. Marco Gilardi is a Lecturer in Computer Games and the Lead of the Creative Computing Technologies Research Group at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). He also serves as the Post-Graduate Research Coordinator for the Division of Computing. Dr. Gilardi holds a PhD in Computer Science and Informatics from the University of Sussex, alongside undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Mathematics from the Università degli Studi di Cagliari in Italy. With over 15 years of experience in Higher Education, Dr. Gilardi is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research primarily explores Extended Reality (XR) applications, focusing specifically on XR technologies for education and training, and developing immersive XR experiences for the cultural heritage sector. A proven research leader, Dr. Gilardi has successfully secured and managed a portfolio of over £1 million in funding from prominent bodies like Innovate UK, the Scottish Funding Council, and Erasmus+. His significant contributions to the field and innovative teaching practices have been recognized with several accolades, including the 2022 TIGA UK Education Award for Innovative Teaching and the 2022 Scottish Knowledge Exchange Hero Award.