I’m Giovanni Spitale, but you can call me Spit, which I’m totally cool with as a nickname. Born on December 3rd, 1987, I’ve journeyed through storytelling, philosophy and ethics. My goal? To use my expertise with ideas and stories to positively impact the world.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, a master’s in philosophical sciences, and a PhD in medical sciences. I deal mainly with applied/empirical ethics, bioethics, some moral philosophy.
I like to tell stories, because everything is a story to some degree, and stories are powerful engines to change people’s mind – and thus the world.
Above all, I like to mix things up: to bring my storytelling skills into academia (especially in empirical ethics projects), and to bring my academic knowledge into storytelling (because a good idea and a solid theory can only improve a story).
I got involved in storytelling and bioethics in 2009, when a serious bone marrow illness (no worries – still alive!) made it clear to me that I needed to convince people of the importance of choosing to give something of themselves to others.
In 2010, together with Pietro dal Prà, I started a targeted communication project, Climb For Life, which changed (at least a little) the world of mountaineering.
From 2012 to 2013, I honed my skills as the head of communications for a technical mountaineering apparel company. In 2013, I left a promising career to complete my master’s studies.
Post-master’s, I dabbled in various roles here and there (see: cv) and eventually found my happy place in Zurich, where I made lifelong friends, learned to fly, and earned my PhD. I am now a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, and WHO rapporteur on ethics of infodemic management. I have a strong inclination for empirical ethics and citizen science/participatory research; thematically, my research interests revolve around public health ethics, ethics of risk and crisis communication, and quality improvement in healthcare. In terms of methods, I like to dip in multiple bowls, combining natural language processing, computational linguistics, qualitative research, statistics, and philosophical analysis into mixed methods approaches. AI, something with which I play a lot, can fit both in the ‘themes’ and in the ‘methods’ box.
Additionally, I’m a member of MENSA, the high IQ society. MENSA is an international organization that connects individuals with high IQs, providing a platform for intellectual exchange and activities. Membership in MENSA is exclusive, requiring a score within the top 2% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. Being part of this society is not just about the recognition of intellectual abilities, but most importantly about being part of a global community that values knowledge, creativity, and a love for learning.
I am also an ordained minister in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Reg. Nr. 251-189). As a Pastafarian minister, I advocate for the principles of this faith, which champions the importance of critical thinking, piracy, and a sense of humor in the face of life’s complexities. The Pastafarian faith celebrates the belief that everyone should be free to choose their own path to enlightenment, whether that involves a traditional religious journey or a more unconventional one, like following the teachings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It emphasizes the importance of tolerance, freedom of thought, and the joy of embracing the absurd in the pursuit of truth. As a Pastafarian, I wear my colander and pirate regalia with pride and strive to spread the message of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s noodly appendage.