People

Dr. Karen Cochrane

Assistant Professor

Dr. Karen Cochrane's scholarly pursuits in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) revolve around creating wearable and tangible computing prototypes in mental health and accessibility. These designs serve a dual purpose: firstly, fostering constructive coping strategies for mental health and overall well-being; secondly, crafting assistive technologies for the disabled community. Dr. Cochrane’s interests delve into the nuanced realms of soma design, autoethnography, and design fiction, all geared toward understanding both the needs of academics and underrepresented communities. This understanding of lived experiences enhances the development of robust prototypes and design methods within the HCI field, empowering these communities.

Georgia Loewen

Ph.D. candidate in the School of IT program

Georgia's research focus is on designing accessible video game interaction through wearable technology for players with upper limb motor disabilities. Her research also explores qualitative methodologies, and she is currently exploring the application of narrative inquiry and dialogic/performance analysis to HCI research. 

Bryce Arthur Moore

Master's student, Management Science and Engineering, University of Waterloo

Bryce's research in HCI focuses on empowering occupational therapists to bridge the creation gap of simple assistive devices for individuals with acquired brain injuries. Assistive technologies help empower these individuals with the ability to perform activities of daily living and ensure they have the autonomy to communicate for themselves.

Research Assistants

Jieun Lee, Ph.D. student, Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo | Building Confidence and Collaboration for Generative AI Use in Community-Based Healthcare, Graduate Research Assistant 

Naveena Krishnabagavan, Honours Global Business and Digital Arts, University of Waterloo | Building Confidence and Collaboration for Generative AI Use in Community-Based Healthcare, Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Sydney Tran, Honours Global Business and Digital Arts, University of Waterloo | Mansplainable AI, Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Charleston Wang, Computation and Design major, Digital Media track, Duke Kunshan University | I Want to Learn How to Crochet: An Autobiographical Exploration of Technology-Mediated Craft Learning, Undergraduate Research Assistant

Collaborators

We work closely with other researchers within and outside of the university.

University of Waterloo 

Oliver Schnieder, Associate Professor, Management Science and Engineering

James Wallace, Professor, School of Public Health Sciences 

Daniel Harley, Associate Professor, Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Carleton University 

Audrey Girouard, Associate Professor, School of Information Technology, Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Engineering and Design

Institutes 

Games Institute, an interdisciplinary research network hub | University of Waterloo 

Network for Aging Research, interdisciplinary aging-focused research | University of Waterloo

Waterloo Data and Artificial Intelligence Institute, a hub for research and collaboration in artificial intelligence and data science | University of Waterloo

International Academy of Hope (iHOPE), providing essential services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or behavioural health needs

KidsAbility Centre for Child Development, providing pediatric rehabilitation to support children and youth with disabilities and developmental delays