Francesco Pagnini, Psy.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. He is a psychologist and psychotherapist, and holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He conducted research for more than ten years at the Department of Psychology at Harvard University (USA). He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and the University of Cambridge (UK), and he currently acts as Research Director at the Langer Mindfulness Institute (USA).

His research centers on the mind–body relationship and the application of mindfulness concepts, with studies carried out in Italy, the USA, and several other countries. He collaborates with the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, and NASA, applying his work to deep space exploration and other extreme environments. He is the author of more than 150 international scientific publications.