Profiles

Kerstin Dautenhahn is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo.  She holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Socially Intelligent Robotics. Previously she was the Canada 150 Research Chair in Intelligent Robotics (2018-2025). She is cross-appointed to the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is a visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. At Waterloo, she is the Director of the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Laboratory (SIRRL).

The main areas of her research are human-robot interaction, social robotics, assistive technology, AI robotics, developmental robotics, and health technologies.

Chrystopher Nehaniv is a Mathematician, Computer Scientist, Complex Adaptive Systems Researcher, and, since August 2018, Full Professor in the Departments of Systems Design Engineering and of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

Moojan Ghafurian is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Prior to joining SYDE, she was a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (2020-2023) and the Inaugural Wes Graham postdoctoral fellow at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science (2018-2020) at the University of Waterloo. She got her PhD from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017, and her research interests and background are in human-computer/robot interaction, social robotics, affective computing, and cognitive science. Her research explores computational models of how humans interact with computers to inform user-centered design of socially and emotionally intelligent technologies in multiple domains, especially in healthcare and for supporting older adults, persons with dementia, and caregivers.

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. I'm interested in applying intelligent assistive technologies to health issues.

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. My research focusses on improving the user experience during human-robot interaction working on a project that uses a social robot to support care for children with amblyopia. During my PhD at the FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, I worked on changes in trust when training a robot and using cognitive models to study embodiment of robotic limbs.

I am a PhD candidate in Systems Design Engineering Department. In my research I am borrowing from dramaturgy to design social robotic systems that can be used for fostering anti-bullying peer-support between children. I am also a Student Researcher at Robotics, Google Brian. 

My research focuses on the creation of visual capabilities for robotic platforms. Previously I have investigated anthropomorphic visual systems. Currently, I am exploring cognitive architectures that could enable robotic platforms with making memory informed vision-dominant decisions.

I am a PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. My research focuses on enhancing socially intelligent agents by making them more empathic, sensitive and interactive. I am interested in creating robots that can assist individuals with their mental health, through dialogue, understanding, and companionship.

I am currently pursuing my PhD in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. My primary research focus lies in utilizing robots to assist children facing various challenges, such as autism or domestic issues.

I am a research assistant in Electrical and Computer Engineering. My research focuses on using robots as assistive tools for children with special needs.

I am a Research Associate specializing in Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. I hope to bring some new insights to the world of Social and Intelligent Robotics. I am particularly excited about the recent advancements in AI that will help us attain these Social objectives more and more autonomously.

My primary goal is to develop safe and secure robots capable of interacting with humans in diverse scenarios. I'm particularly interested in creating methods that enhance robot intelligence, with a focus on reinforcement learning and large language models. I'm driven by the potential of robotics to improve human life and push the boundaries of technology. You can find out more about my projects on my website.

I am an MASc student in the ECE department with focus in Pattern Analysis & Machine Intelligence. My research focuses on developing interactive, human-centered systems using social robots and large language models. Currently, I'm working on a project that leverages the Furhat robot to help optometry students enhance their communication skills through simulated patient interactions. 

I am an MASc student in the ECE department. I hope to leverage my hardware background and passion for user-centered design to contribute to the field of social robotics. My project focuses on using a social robot to support care for children with amblyopia. Please visit my personal website for more information.

I am an undergraduate research assistant in Systems Design Engineering. My primary research focus is using LLMs with social robots to create natural and empathetic interactions.

I am a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. I completed my M.Sc. in Computer Science at Lakehead University, where my research focused on AI, Robotics, and Tactile Perception. My current research interests include AI, Robotics, and Human-Robot Teaching, with an emphasis on developing intelligent and adaptive robotic systems that can learn from and collaborate effectively with humans.

Megan Lee is a second-year Computer Engineering student with interests in user-centered design, AI/ML, and human-robot interaction. At SIRRL, her primary research focus is exploring the application of social robots as coaches for public speaking.

I am an undergraduate Computer Engineering student interested in AI, machine learning, and large language models. My research at SIRRL focuses on developing interactive human-robot systems that provide personalized, intelligent feedback to improve public speaking and communication skills.