Dr. D.S. (Delfina) Martinez Pandiani PhD
Assistant Professor of Cultural Data Analysis
Faculty of Humanities
Capaciteitsgroep Media & Cultuur
Visiting address
- Turfdraagsterpad 1
Postal address
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Postbus 94550
1090 GN Amsterdam
Contact details
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Profile
I am Asst. Professor of Cultural Data Analysis based in the Department of Media Studies and the Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation. I integrate computer vision, semantic technologies, and media and queer theory to both critically examine and technically develop AI systems used for multimodal cultural analytics.
My research explores how abstract social concepts—such as identity, toxicity, and vulnerability—are operationalized in, and shaped by, computational logic in the era of AI. I am guided by concepts like glitch and alienation.
Overall, I challenge and play with assumed binaries, like public/private, nature/culture, male/female, and white/colored. Overall, I am committed to producing knowledge that explores how human and non-human agents adapt within the dynamic interplay of technological advancement, societal values, and cultural diversity. My overall aim is to seek new ways to think about power, representation, and technological change.
Previously, I was a post-doctoral researcher at the Human-Centered Data-Analytics (HCDA) group at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the national research institute for mathematics and computer science in the Netherlands. I have a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering and a M.A. in Digital Humanities and Digital Knowledge from Università di Bologna (Italy). I have a Bachelor's degree in Human Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies, from Harvard University (U.S.A.).
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Research Interests
Specifically, my current research directions include the following:
Identity Labeling in Latent Spaces
- Investigating how Generative AI models learn and represent identity labels in their latent spaces, with a focus on detecting and mitigating biases and stereotypes. Special interest in synthetic images and glitches.
AI and the Precarization of Vulnerability
- Addressing the condition of abundance inherent to platformized life, in which ethical integrity of data science depends not just on who is studied, but on how technical pipelines transform “vulnerable" individuals into data subjects whose vulnerability can be further precarized.
- Treating data research as “world-making" work, moving the researcher from a passive observer to an active agent, inviting methodological reflection to interrogate the shifting boundary between protective visibility and predatory exposure.
Toxicity and Digital Literacy
- AI models for detecting, operationalizing, and analyzing toxicity in online platforms, with a focus on identifying patterns of toxic symbology in memes.
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Publications
2026
Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Tjong Kim Sang, E., & Ceolin, D. (2026). OnToxKG: An Ontology-Based Knowledge Graph of Toxic Symbols and Their Manifestations. In H. Verma, A. Bozzon, J. Yang, & A. Mauri (Eds.), Web Engineering: 25th International Conference, ICWE 2025, Delft, The Netherlands, June 30–July 3, 2025 : proceedings (pp. 119-127). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 15749). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97207-2_9 [details]- Tjong Kim Sang, E., Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Ceolin, D. (2026). Evaluating Locally Run Large Language Models on Toxic Meme Analysis. In H. Verma, A. Bozzon, J. Yang, & A. Mauri (Eds.), Web Engineering: 25th International Conference, ICWE 2025, Delft, The Netherlands, June 30–July 3, 2025 : proceedings (pp. 128-135). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 15749). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97207-2_10 [details]
- Veggi, M., Bonanno, V., Cerato, I., Ciortan, I.-M., Clay, A., Fiorenza, G., Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Pescarin, S. (2026). Sense of Care in the Design of Digital Heritage Applications. In S. Pescarin, C. Barandoni, A. Clay, G. Papadopoulos, & I. C. A. Sandu (Eds.), Chromatic Visions: Exploring Colour in Art, Archaeology and Digital Realities (Vol. I, pp. 128-161). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 15750). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07792-9_4 [details]
2025
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Tjong Kim Sang, E., & Ceolin, D. (2025). ‘Toxic’ memes: A survey of computational perspectives on the detection and explanation of meme toxicities. Online Social Networks and Media, 47, Article 100317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.osnem.2025.100317 [details]
2024
- Ciroku, F., De Giorgis, S., Gangemi, A., Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Presutti, V. (2024). Automated multimodal sensemaking: Ontology-based integration of linguistic frames and visual data. Computers in Human Behavior, 150, Article 107997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107997
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2024). Bridging the Gap: Decoding Abstract Concepts in Cultural Heritage Images. In F. Moral-Andrés, E. Merino-Gómez, & P. Reviriego (Eds.), Decoding Cultural Heritage: A Critical Dissection and Taxonomy of Human Creativity through Digital Tools (pp. 157-189). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57675-1_8 [details]
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2024). The wicked problem of naming the intangible: Abstract concepts, binary thinking, and computer vision labels. Future Humanities, 2(1-2), Article e11. https://doi.org/10.1002/fhu2.11 [details]
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Lazzari, N., & Presutti, V. (2024). Stitching Gaps: Fusing Situated Perceptual Knowledge with Vision Transformers for High-Level Image Classification. In A. Salatino, M. Alam, F. Ongenae, S. Vahdati, A.-L. Gentile, T. Pellegrini, & S. Jiang (Eds.), Knowledge Graphs in the Age of Language Models and Neuro-Symbolic AI: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Semantic Systems, 17–19 September 2024, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (pp. 68-87). (Studies on the Semantic Web; Vol. 60). IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/SSW240008 [details]
2023
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Lazzari, N., van Erp, M., & Presutti, V. (2023). Hypericons for Abstract Concepts: Non-traditional Approaches to Visual Explainability. International Journal of Digital Humanities, 5(2-3), 451–490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42803-023-00077-8
2022
- Daga, E., Asprino, L., Damiano, R., Daquino, M., Diaz Agudo, B., Gangemi, A., Kuflik, T., Lieto, A., Maguire, M., Marras, A. M., Martinez Pandiani, D., Mulholland, P., Peroni, S., Pescarin, S., & Wecker, A. (2022). Integrating citizen experiences in cultural heritage archives: requirements, state of the art, and challenges. ACM journal on computing and cultural heritage : JOCCH, 15(1), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1145/347759
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Pescarin, S. (2022). Beyond static colors: An interactive participatory design perspective on color-centric experiences. International Journal of Conservation Science, 13(special issue 1), 1691-1704. https://ijcs.ro/public/IJCS-22-125_Pandiani.pdf
- Pescarin, S., & Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2022). Factors in the Cognitive-Emotional Impact of Educational Environmental Narrative Videogames. In Extended Reality: First International Conference, XR Salento 2022, Lecce, Italy, July 6–8, 2022 : proceedings (Vol. II, pp. 101-108). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 13446). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15553-6_8
- Pescarin, S., & Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2022). The Impact of Story Structure, Meaningfulness, and Concentration in Serious Games. Information (Switzerland), 13(12), Article 567. https://doi.org/10.3390/info13120567
2021
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Presutti, V. (2021). Automatic Modeling of Social Concepts Evoked by Art Images as Multimodal Frames. In S. Carvalho, & R. Rocha Souza (Eds.), Proceedings of the Workshops and Tutorials held at LDK 2021: co-located with the 3rd Language, Data and Knowledge Conference (LDK 2021) : Zaragoza, Spain, September 1-4, 2021 (pp. 32-46). (CEUR Workshop Proceedings; Vol. 3064). CEUR-WS. https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3064/mdk3.pdf
2018
- Benenson, J. F., White, M. M., Martinez Pandiani, D., Hillyer, L. J., Kantor, S., Markovits, H., & Wrangham, R. W. (2018). Competition Elicits more Physical Affiliation between Male than Female Friends. Scientific Reports, 8, Article 8380. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26544-9
2024
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Tjong Kim Sang, E., & Ceolin, D. (2024). Toxic Memes: A Survey of Computational Perspectives on the Detection and Explanation of Meme Toxicities. ArXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.07353
2023
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Presutti, V. (2023). Seeing the Intangible: Survey of Image Classification into High-Level and Abstract Categories. (v1 ed.) ArXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2308.10562
2021
- Meroño-Peñuela, A., Guillotel-Nothmann, C., de Berardinis, J., Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Carriero, V. A., Wigham, M., Poltronieri, A., Ciroku, F., & Rigaux, P. (2021). D2. 1: Ontology-based knowledge graphs for music objects (V1. 0). https://polifonia-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Polifonia_D2.1_V1.0.pdf
2022
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S., & Presutti, V. (2022). Coded Visions: Addressing Cultural Bias in Image Annotation Systems with the Descriptions and Situations Ontology Design Pattern. Paper presented at Graphs and Networks in the Humanities 2022. https://www.academia.edu/92913461/Coded_Visions_Addressing_Cultural_Bias_in_Image_Annotation_Systems_with_the_Descriptions_and_Situations_Ontology_Design_Pattern
2021
- Carriero, V. A., Ciroku, F., de Berardinis, J., Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Meroño-Peñuela, A., Poltronieri, A., & Presutti, V. (2021). Semantic Integration of MIR Datasets with the Polifonia Ontology Network. Poster session presented at 22nd International Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference, Online. https://archives.ismir.net/ismir2021/latebreaking/000020.pdf
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2021). Semantic & Interactive Technologies for Civic Education: Ancient Classical Polychromy as a Case Study. Paper presented at XII Convegno Internazionale AIES: Associazione Italiana Esperti Scientifici Beni Culturali , Naples, Italy.
2020
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2020). A Collaborative Color Laboratory: Using 3D Modelling, Texturization, and AR to Challenge White Supremacist Uses of Ancient Classical Sculptures. Paper presented at Building Community Online, Canadian Society for Digital Humanities (CSDH/SCHN) Annual Conference, Canada.
Prize / grant
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2024). Best Paper Award - Research & Industry Track.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2023). Synapse AI Symposium Award.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2022). Marco Polo University Programme Fellowship.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2021). Best Thesis Award by AIES – Italian Association of Scientific Experts.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2017). George Peabody Gardner Fellowship.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2016). John Harvard Scholar.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2015). Harvard College Research Program Award.
- Martinez Pandiani, D. (2015). David Rockefeller International Experience Grant.
2024
- Martinez Pandiani, D. S. (2024). Mind the gaps: cognitive-inspired AI for high-level visual sensemaking. Towards abstract concept image classification. https://doi.org/10.48676/unibo/amsdottorato/11284
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Ancillary activities
No ancillary activities
Martinez Pandiani, D. S., Tjong Kim Sang, E., & Ceolin, D. (2026). OnToxKG: An Ontology-Based Knowledge Graph of Toxic Symbols and Their Manifestations. In H. Verma, A. Bozzon, J. Yang, & A. Mauri (Eds.), Web Engineering: 25th International Conference, ICWE 2025, Delft, The Netherlands, June 30–July 3, 2025 : proceedings (pp. 119-127). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 15749). Springer.