Davys Moreno

Davys Enrique Espíndola Moreno is a Chilean-born researcher, violinist, music therapist and music educator based in Portugal. He holds a European PhD in Educational Sciences from the University of Aveiro, awarded with Distinction and Merit for his doctoral thesis, Inclusion of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Music Arts Education Programmes: From Research to Action. Funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), he completed a research internship at the Music Informatics Laboratory of the University of Milan, where he collaborated in the adaptation and implementation of Accessible Digital Musical Instruments (ADMIs), interactive music systems, and assistive technologies designed to support the participation of children with complex motor, communication and cognitive disabilities in music learning and performance.

Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Researcher at DigiMedia, University of Aveiro, under the supervision of Ana Veloso, and a collaborating researcher at CIDTFF. His current research explores how digital technologies, artificial intelligence, digital media, assistive technologies, and accessible musical interfaces can promote participation, communication, creativity, autonomy and inclusion in music education for all children, including those with disabilities, special health needs, social vulnerability and refugee backgrounds.

His work lies at the intersection of music education, music technology, music therapy, human-computer interaction, technology-enhanced learning, pedagogical differentiation, digital accessibility, ADMIs and AI-assisted music learning. He has been actively involved in the implementation, evaluation and dissemination of innovative technological solutions, including eye-gaze interaction systems, digital musical instruments, AI-supported educational environments and technology-mediated learning models that enable children with cerebral palsy, autism and other disabilities to engage meaningfully in music making.

Alongside his academic career, Davys has maintained an active international profile as a violinist, concertmaster, orchestra leader and teacher in Chile, Brazil and Portugal. He has authored more than 50 scientific publications, including papers indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, and his research has contributed to advancing international knowledge on inclusive music education, assistive technologies, digital transformation and artificial intelligence in music. In 2025, he received the Merit and Honour Award from the Vasco Vieira de Almeida Foundation, supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in recognition of the scientific excellence and social impact of his work