Nicola Zengiaro‘s secondment to Palacký University Olomouc in Olomouc, the Czech Republic focused on advancing research within Work Package 2 of the MASKED project. He leveraged his specialized expertise as a biosemiotician to bridge the gap between semiotic theory and the clinical study of facial hypomimia. During this period, Zengiaro initiated the preliminary development of a biosemiotic framework to analyze facial expressiveness, demonstrating the utility of this methodology to the host institution.
This allowed Zengiaro to begin drafting initial models for comparative analysis using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) and the Neuropsychological Gesture Coding System (NEUROGES), which remain in an active state of further refinement. He has begun the foundational work of gathering audiovisual data and, more importantly, preparing the necessary protocols for archiving information about these videos. This includes, for instance, establishing reference lists to ensure sources are clearly re-constitutable and traceable, clearing applicable copyrights, and implementing storage solutions that meet high standards of technology and confidentiality.
These efforts represent the first steps in structuring a transdisciplinary approach that will be validated in subsequent project phases. Professionally, this experience has been instrumental in testing theoretical concepts within a practical, evolving research environment. Ultimately, the secondment provided the momentum needed to advance the project’s technical objectives while maintaining the flexibility required for ongoing model development.
