Nicolas Savino - Personal Site

About Me

Fordham University: Class of 2026, BS in Psychology/Computer Science

I'm a researcher at the intersection of Human Factors, Psychology, and Computer Science. My work focuses on understanding how humans perform in high-stakes, extreme environments - from isolation and confinement to human-AI interaction.

Currently, I'm investigating cognitive performance in solitude at Durham University's Solitude Lab and utilizing Signal Detection Theory to quantify human perception of AI-generated imagery. I bridge the gap between neurobiology and technical systems, building the software tools and interfaces needed to analyze human performance in real-time.

When I'm not in the lab: You'll find me playing piano, over a chessboard, reading, or writing about that shiny object with orange hues falling from the sky.

Currently seeking summer 2025 internships in UI/UX Research, Human Factors Engineering, and Human-Computer Interaction.

Skills

UX/UI & Human Factors

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Design & Prototyping

Figma
Framer
Canva
Adobe Premiere Pro

Frontend Development

React
React Native
TypeScript
JavaScript
HTML/CSS

Research Methods

Signal Detection Theory (SDT)
User Research & Testing
Information Architecture
Cognitive Performance Modeling

Research & Data Analysis

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Statistical Analysis

R (lme4, sdtR, tidyverse)
Python (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy)
SPSS
MATLAB
SQL

Research Tools

Qualtrics
Excel (Certified)
Salesforce

Full-Stack Development

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Backend & APIs

Java Spring Boot
Python
FastAPI
RESTful APIs

AI Integration

OpenAI GPT API
Claude API
Gemini API
LLM Prompt Engineering

Languages

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English (Native)
Italian (Conversational)
Latin (Passive Fluency)
Mandarin (Beginner)

Human Factors & UX Experience

Founder & Product Lead - Over Coffee AI

May 2025-Present | Yorktown Heights, NY

Responsibilities:

Directed product architecture and UX research for an AI-driven mental wellness platform, amassing 100+ users within 48 hours of launch
Engineered the full-stack interface using React, TypeScript, and custom CSS with a focus on performance, modularity, and responsive design
Conducted user research and translated behavioral insights into product features, managing the complete product roadmap from concept to deployment
Coordinated backend implementation using Java Spring Boot and RESTful APIs, integrating LLM-based conversational AI with embedding-based memory systems

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Member Assistance Program (MAP) Intern

United Federation of Teachers | 2025 | New York City, NY

Responsibilities:

Redesigned the mental health referral pipeline's information architecture, creating a streamlined, high-speed pathway for members to connect with care providers
Leveraged data analysis to systematize clinician data and optimize the user experience for mental health service navigation
Collaborated directly with clinicians to list referrals and organize scheduling through mental health outreach programs

Project Management Intern

United Federation of Teachers | 2024 | New York City, NY

Responsibilities:

Contributed to UI/UX design and development for the UFT Mobile App using React Native
Played an integral role in a cross-functional team supporting the launch of the mobile app and a new Member Loyalty Program
Leveraged Salesforce to execute data-informed membership engagement strategies while contributing to digital marketing efforts

Research

Research Focus

Human Factors in Extreme Environments, Cognitive Performance in Isolation, Human-AI Interaction, and Signal Detection Theory

Current Projects

Solitude & Confinement Psychology, AI-Generated Image Perception, Vigilance Monitoring, and Clinical Psychopathology

Solitude Lab - Lab Assistant

Durham University | 2025-Present

Director: Dr. Thuy-vy Nguyen, PhD

Responsibilities:

Selected to join a research team investigating Human Factors in isolation, specifically how dispositional autonomy mitigates stress in high-confinement environments
Utilize R to process longitudinal Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data, modeling how individuals downregulate high-arousal emotions during solitude
Applying theoretical frameworks of "allostatic regulation" to understanding human behavior in restricted environmental stimulation (REST) contexts
Developing data processing pipelines for remote research capabilities in extreme isolation scenarios

COAP Lab (Compulsive, Obsessive, Anxiety Program) - Lab Assistant

Fordham University | February 2025-Present

Director: Dr. Dean McKay, PhD

Responsibilities:

Assist in experimental design, data collection, and analysis focusing on psychopathology research
Utilize software for data processing and statistical analysis (e.g., MATLAB, R, SPSS)
Contribute to academic presentations, literature reviews, and manuscript preparation

COAP Lab Projects

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Project 1: Anxiety Disorder Book

2025-Present | Mentored Under: Dr. Dean McKay, PhD

Fordham University

Responsibilities:

Conducting a comprehensive literature synthesis of contemporary psychopathology research (2002-present) to inform a forthcoming scholarly textbook
Responsible for the following chapters: Features of anxiety (2) and Central neurobiology of anxiety (7)

Project 2: Politics in Mental Health Professions

2025-Present | Mentored by: Dr. Dean McKay, PhD, and Katie Muschalik

Fordham University

Responsibilities:

Created and deployed a survey using Qualtrics, analyzing data with R to systematically organize responses
Survey responses indicated strong levels of ongoing political disputes in the mental health field

Project 3: Analysis of State-Level Continuing Education for Psychologists

2025-Present | Mentored Under: Dr. Dean McKay, PhD

In Collaboration with: Aerin Ellard (2026) | Fordham University

Responsibilities:

Investigating state-approved, non-APA continuing education (CE) providers to assess the scientific validity of their training materials
Contributing to a policy-oriented project aimed at ensuring public protection and upholding scientific standards in professional mental health training

Publications

McKay, D., Arrindell, A. S. C. T., Lustig, S. M. C., & Savino, N. F. (2025). Pathways to Trypophobia: The Role of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms, Anxiety, and Disgust in Disease Avoidance Following Skin Infection. Poster in preparation.

Independent Research

Human Perception of AI-Generated Imagery

November 2025-Present | Principal Investigator

In Collaboration with: Emre Kuraner, MS in Clinical Research Methods (Teachers College)

Study Overview:

Investigating human accuracy in distinguishing AI-generated images from real photographs using Signal Detection Theory (SDT) to quantify perceptual sensitivity and response bias.

Methods & Approach:

Utilizing Signal Detection Theory to analyze sensitivity (d') and response bias (c) in human-AI interaction contexts
Developed complete R analysis pipeline using lme4 and sdtR packages for mixed-effects logistic regression
Deployed Qualtrics-based methodology with 24 trials across five image categories to examine individual differences in detection ability
Testing primary hypothesis: participants' accuracy is higher than chance (> 50%) with analysis of confidence ratings and credibility judgments

GitHub Repository →

Additional Research

Bronx Personality Lab (B-PER) - Research Assistant

2024-2025 | Director: Dr. Christopher Conway, PhD | Fordham University

Executed bibliometric analysis of longitudinal studies on Borderline Personality Disorder, analyzing citation trends and developing statistical models

Previous Independent Studies

Study 1: Omission Neglect

January-April 2025 | Principal Investigator

Bronx, NY

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Information:

Spearheaded an independent experimental study examining omission neglect, a cognitive bias where missing information distorts ethical decision-making
Engineered and deployed a Qualtrics-based methodology to test hypotheses, analyzing all data with independent-sample t-tests and effect-size calculations in IBM SPSS
Revealed meaningful psychological patterns, discovering large effect sizes that suggest omission neglect contributes to overconfidence in ambiguous situations

Study 2: Clinical Analysis of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

January-April 2025 | Principal Investigator

Bronx, NY

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Information:

Conducted a literature synthesis of peer-reviewed studies to analyze the distinct presentation of pediatric OCD compared to adult-onset OCD
Evaluated key differences across symptoms, common comorbidities, and the efficacy of evidence-based treatments (CBT, SSRIs)
Investigated the influence of family dynamics, cultural context, and socioeconomic factors on diagnosis and treatment outcomes
Identified early diagnosis and parent-focused therapy as critical factors for improving long-term outcomes in youth mental health

Licenses and Certifications

Harvard CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python | Harvard Online (Issued Jun 2025)
Modifying Data Frames in R | CodeAcademy (Issued Jun 2025)
R Programming Fundamentals (Swirl Course) | SWIRL (Issued Jun 2025)
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) | BACB (Issued June 2025)
Undergraduate Students (Social & Behavioral Research) | CITI Program (Issued Feb 2025)
Learn Python 3 | CodeAcademy (Issued Jun 2024)

Start-Up Ventures $

Over Coffee AI

An AI-driven mental reflection tool aimed at helping one find their purpose in life. Amassed over 100+ users within 48 hours of launch.

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Solar

Coming Soon

Your digitalized rolodex. Leverage your network without all the clutter. Stay tuned.

ParallelAI

In Development

A dating app with no swiping or scrolling. The AI learns about you and delivers daily curated matches with short chemistry blurbs, then you jump straight into conversation.

SLL

Coming Soon

An upcoming e-book. Information will be revealed at a later date!

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Socials

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