Naila Ayala

Naila Ayala has always been fascinated by how humans master complex skills under pressure. Now, as a member of the Provost’s Program for Interdisciplinary Scholars, she is leveraging neuroscience, engineering, and artificial intelligence to transform training in high-stakes environments such as aviation.

Ayala’s research investigates how people acquire and refine advanced skills, with a focus on the demanding cognitive and physical tasks required of pilots. “My research investigates how humans acquire and master complex skills in high-stakes environments, such as piloting an aircraft,” she explains. “I use wearable sensor technologies (e.g., mobile eye tracking, motion capture, and immersive simulators) to capture how individuals perceive, process, and act during demanding tasks. By combining these rich datasets with machine learning and human performance modelling, I develop predictive tools that can assess skill proficiency and anticipate cognitive or motor errors before they occur.”

This work has wide-ranging implications for training, safety, and workforce development. “My work unites neuroscience, cognitive psychology, engineering, AI/machine learning, and aviation to tackle the shortage of certified pilots in Canada, a challenge that particularly affects underserved northern communities,” Ayala says. “Through partnerships with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), industry leaders, and policymakers, I am working towards building competency-based training models that are equitable, cost-effective, and scalable. This collaborative approach directly reflects the program’s vision for high-impact, cross-disciplinary solutions.”

During her postdoctoral appointment, Ayala is advancing this vision by creating computational models that integrate data from multiple sources. “During my tenure as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Waterloo, I aim to create advanced computational models that integrate multimodal data to monitor learning, predict performance outcomes, and guide adaptive training interventions,” she notes. “These tools will help optimize information processing, reduce human error, and accelerate skill acquisition. Ultimately, my goal is to make aviation training more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable, while producing a framework that can be adapted to other high-performance domains.”

Her research portfolio already demonstrates significant impact. She has conceptualized and deployed a cognitive tunneling metric that traces shifts in visual attention, co-developed machine learning–driven models to map pilot competency, integrated motor control and gaze data into predictive models of error, and led simulator-based studies that revealed new competency-based training metrics.

Ayala’s academic journey began with a BA in Kinesiology at Western University, followed by an MSc in Neuroscience at Western and a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo. Along the way, she has received numerous awards, including the Mitacs Elevate Post-Doctoral Fellowship, the NSERC Canadian Graduate Research Scholarship-Doctoral Program, and multiple Ontario Graduate and President’s Graduate Scholarships.

Choosing Waterloo for her postdoctoral work was a natural step. “The University of Waterloo offers an unparalleled environment for interdisciplinary, applied research,” she says. “With access to WISA’s advanced simulation labs, training organization insights from pilot trainee's and instructors from the University of Waterloo's Aviation department, and strong industry and government partnerships, Waterloo provides the infrastructure and collaborative network needed to translate my research into real-world training innovations. I look forward to continuing my research here!”