Alessandro Sparacio, Ph.D.
Panoramic view of the Singapore skyline at sunset

Research Scientist

Advancing mental health through rigorous, open, and equitable science, with a focus on non-pharmacological interventions for stress, mood, and sleep.

Featured In: Nature Human Behaviour
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Professional headshot of Alessandro Sparacio

About Me

Mental Health & Cognition

Clinical Trials

Digital Biomarkers

Mindfulness

As a Research Scientist at A*STAR, I am dedicated to advancing mental health research, with a focus on cognition, mood, and stress.

A cornerstone of my career has been leading a large-scale project on self-administered mindfulness. Our findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour, demonstrated that mindfulness significantly reduces stress.

This work has led to opportunities like being a Keynote Speaker at the 4th Annual International Conference of Thai Clinical Psychologists and an invitation to present at the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2025.

My doctoral research at Université Grenoble Alpes and Swansea University involved two comprehensive meta-analyses, identifying critical gaps that my multi-site study aimed to address. Since joining A*STAR, I have expanded my expertise into clinical trials and digital biomarkers, leading a decentralized pilot trial using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to measure stress.

I earned my Ph.D. with distinction for excellence in work and exemplary Open Science practices, building upon a Master's in Social and Occupational Psychology.

Join Our Current Project

Recruitment graphic for mindfulness research study

Building Resilience Across Socioeconomic Contexts

Actively Recruiting

As Principal Investigator on this NMRC-funded study, I am testing different mindfulness training structures to discover the optimal way to reduce stress. A key goal is to ensure health equity by recruiting a diverse, international sample.

Learn More on OSF

Your Role & Our Support

Your primary role is to secure local ethics approval and recruit 40-60 participants. Our central team handles all other logistics and provides a full "IRB Packet" to streamline your submission.

Focus on Health Equity

A key goal is to reach diverse populations. We strongly prioritize sites that can recruit participants from low-SES backgrounds.

There is no financial cost to your site, and we offer co-authorship for your contribution. If your institution is a good fit for this project, we would love to hear from you.

Complete Collaborator Interest Form

Featured Presentation

My "Quickfire Pitch" at the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2025.

Events

Upcoming

Workshop poster for the Replication Crisis in Science

Workshop - The Replication Crisis in Science and Medicine

Date: 2 October 2025
Time: 2-5pm, Singapore
Location: Singapore

A workshop at NUS Medicine discussing the challenges of the replication crisis and how embracing reproducibility can strengthen scientific progress in Singapore.

View Event

Past

Poster for the Manchester Mindfulness Festival

Brief Mindfulness for Real-Life Stress Relief: Evidence from a Multi-Site Study

Date: 30 August 2025
Time: 10-11am, UK
Location: Online

A talk at The Manchester Mindfulness Festival exploring findings from a large-scale study on the practical applications of brief mindfulness exercises.

Event Ended

Featured Publications

Graphical abstract for JMIR publication
JMIR Mental Health Pilot RCT

Feasibility of a Smartphone-Delivered Mindfulness Intervention

The Gist:

Is it the mindfulness, or is it just the placebo effect? This study used a sham control to see what's really behind the stress-reducing benefits of digital wellness apps.

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Graphical abstract for Nature Human Behaviour publication
Nature Human Behaviour Multi-Site Study

Self-administered mindfulness interventions reduce stress

The Gist:

Mindfulness apps are everywhere, but do they actually work for stress? We tested four common exercises on over 2,200 people to find out.

View Publication →
Graphical abstract for Collabra: Psychology publication
Collabra: Psychology Meta-Analysis

Stress regulation via being in nature and social support

The Gist:

Which is a more reliable stress buster: a walk in the park or a talk with a friend? Our meta-analysis of the scientific literature revealed a clear winner.

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Interviews & Press

La Repubblica Logo

An interview discussing the findings of our multi-site study on the effectiveness of mindfulness for stress reduction.

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Medical Xpress Logo

A discussion about our research on self-administered mindfulness interventions and their impact on stress.

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