Shirin is a Computer Science PhD student working at the intersection of healthcare, human experience, and human-computer interaction. Her current research focuses on how contextual factors (e.g., design of healthcare spaces, patient-clinician relationship, informed consent in psychiatry, etc.) can shape patients' experiences and impact their long term health outcomes.

Liz specializes in human-computer interaction, information science, and social computing, focusing on applications in healthcare, STEM education, and environmental sustainability. Her primary expertise is in the domain of digital health, working to develop health monitoring and behavioral intervention technologies that emphasize inclusive design, patient empowerment, and health equity. 

Before joining the Dartmouth faculty, Liz was a postdoctoral scholar in Computer Science at Stanford University and received her PhD in Information Science from Cornell University. After completing her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at MIT, she also spent 4 years as the lead engineer and head of experimental features of a CSAIL startup that built interactive visualization tools to help software developers make sense of complex codebases. Liz’s work continues to promote translational approaches that seek opportunities to meaningfully engage with and positively shape industry practices, local communities, and policy-making.

Fun facts! Liz grew up on the beach 🏖, loves to play volleyball 🏐, and her favorite music is industrial metal 😈

Vafa is interested in health technology research from a human-centered designer’s perspective, for both physical and behavioral healthcare. The focus of her research is on mental health workers, patients with obesity and female health. Before coming to Dartmouth, Vafa completed her undergrad in Computer Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. 

Fun facts: Vafa loves to read, have meaningful conversations, go for long walks and scour the neighborhood for cats and dogs 🐈🐕

Hello!<br>I am a master's student focusing on the implementation of emerging technologies in engineering design. I have previously worked in product development in&nbsp;Building Technologies, Virtual-Reality (VR) products, and in the context of social innovation for the Autism Treatment Center (ATC) of Dallas.&nbsp;<br>Motivated to return to school by the exciting, recent developments in machine learning and their potential for implementation in the design process for engineering - I aim to focus my research and learning around these areas.

The focus of this project is on applying natural language processing to patients’ description of pain. In particular, we will be using NLP to compare patients with acute pain with those who have been experiencing chronic pain. Some possible directions for the project can include thematic and semantic analysis. Questions we hope to answer with this project are: (1) how does a chronic patient describe pain?; (2) how does an acute pain patient describe pain?; (3) how do chronic pain and acute pain patients differ in their linguistic expression of pain?; (4) what is the role of metaphors in language around pain?; (5) what is the temporal relationship between pain transitions (from acute to chronic) and language?

Language of Pain

This research examines collective contexts where data tracking and sensemaking practices may be socially motivated, collaboratively conducted, or otherwise extend beyond the single-user assumptions of typical personal informatics tools. Given graphical metaphors can be more familiar, relatable, and therefore meaningful to users as well as provide privacy-sensitive abstraction of data, we are also designing media representations for personal devices and public displays to explore questions around flexible interpretation, social connectedness, and data ephemerality.

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Sprout

This project explores patient empowerment and the patient-clinician relationship. Our goal is to provide patients with an opportunity to reflect on their medical appointments and interactions. A few relevant research questions are: What types of thoughts are/are not being vocalized by patients during the visit? What are some of the barriers for patients in candidly discussing their experience/concerns/questions with healthcare providers? What are the underlying patterns of communication/behavior? How do these patterns correspond to different demographics? Our hypothesis is that chronic pain patients that candidly share their thoughts with their physician are more willing to reflect on the quality of their visit experience are more engaged in their own care and therefore have better clinical outcomes.&nbsp;

Resonance

This project is creating more usable analytics and visualization tools to help product designers and engineers understand and act upon sustainability considerations. We focus on life cycle assessment (LCA), which evaluates the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle, from extraction and processing of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, use, and final disposal. We partner with Synapse Product Development and EarthShift Global to ensure our tools are tailored to the needs of real-world practitioners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Ecosketch

This research develops personalized, data-driven narratives to shape behaviors and mindsets. Stories ambiently visualize a user’s activities and goals as components of a multi-chapter story, where the user's achievements are tied to plot progression. Current extensions include support for specialized health conditions and populations (indigenous peoples, older adults) as well as motivating behaviors that can have positive impacts beyond the individual (e.g., environmentally friendly activities).

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Interactive Narratives

This project studies opportunities for intelligent, interactive systems to help address pressing challenges that face healthcare today. Current projects focus on the development of monitoring and intervention systems to improve hand hygiene, support aging-in-place, and manage anxiety in pediatric patients, as well as the examination of stakeholder perspectives on the broader ramifications of bringing sensing and AI into care workflows.

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AI-Assisted Healthcare

2017–People in countries like the U.S. now spend 87% of their time indoors, with research increasingly indicating that building features (e.g., lighting, materials, iconography) can substantially impact human attitudes, behaviors, and health. As part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://hpds.stanford.edu/">Hybrid Physical-Digital Spaces (HPDS)&nbsp;group</a>, this research has several thrusts to develop technology that blends digital and physical infrastructure to support various cognitive, physiological, psychological, and social dimensions of occupant wellness.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Well-Building

This research examines collective contexts where data tracking and sensemaking practices may be socially motivated, collaboratively conducted, or otherwise extend beyond the single-user assumptions of typical personal informatics tools. Given graphical metaphors can provide privacy-sensitive abstraction, we are also designing media representations for personal devices and public displays to explore questions around flexible interpretation, social connectedness, and data ephemerality.

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Interpersonal Informatics

This project develops metaphor-based information visualizations that are more intuitive, meaningful, and better resonate with the lived experiences those data represent. The current focus is on understanding and visually encoding the mental imagery people associate with the symptoms of their bipolar disorder.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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VisBD

This research looks at issues around privacy, stigma, social support, and dilemmas of disclosure for individuals managing invisible chronic illnesses (ICI). We are currently focused on individuals with bipolar disorder and various pain conditions.

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Illness & Invisibility

Given the subjective experience of pain, self-report is considered essential to its measurement and, in turn, treatment. Through user-centered design approaches, lab studies, and field trials, a main focus of this research is on developing novel interfaces and tangible devices that support accurate, quick, and repeated use along with other participant-valued interactions (e.g., discreet, intuitive, highly manipulable).

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Pain Reporting UIs

At the intersection of personal informatics and serious games, this project explores approaches to data capture, self-reflection, and intervention through art and play. In particular, we are exploring design spaces such as EMA (ecological momentary assessment) games, musical interfaces, and embodied art therapy for mental and physical wellness.

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Tailormade Games & Toys

RecoVR

Studies indicate that the experience of time is linked to well-being. In this project, we examine how physical and digital environments impact sense of time and, in turn, psychological and physiological outcomes. We are especially interested in how different built spaces impact time perceptions and how computer interfaces convey time. Based on such insights, we are designing novel digital representations and tangible materializations of time, to explore new ways of making sense of ourselves and our temporal experiences.

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Tempus Sensus

This project studies the lived experiences and self-monitoring practices of individuals who track their moods through both digital and low/no-tech tools. We work with general populations as well as people with serious mental illness. A particular focus is individuals with bipolar disorder, in order to design assessment and intervention technologies that are more personalized and illness-tailored than generic personal informatics tools and more preemptive and broadly deployable than traditional clinical treatments.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Mood Tracking

Conducting mixed method analyses of Twitter users' content and posting activity, this project explores personal, behavioral, and social factors predictive of abstinence or relapse during attempts to quit smoking. Going forward, we hope to expand this research to the design and deployment of adaptive smoking intervention technologies that provide personalized support.

Projects

Filters

Results

Language of Pain

Sprout

Resonance

RecoVR

Weight & Wellness

Smart toys

Ecosketch

Interactive Narratives

AI-Assisted Healthcare

Well-Building

Interpersonal Informatics

VisBD

Illness & Invisibility

Pain Reporting UIs

Tailormade Games & Toys

Tempus Sensus

Mood Tracking

Smoking Cessation

Tag legend

Projects

Filters

Tags

Results

Language of Pain

Sprout

Resonance

RecoVR

Weight & Wellness

Smart toys

Ecosketch

Interactive Narratives

AI-Assisted Healthcare

Well-Building

Interpersonal Informatics

VisBD

Illness & Invisibility

Pain Reporting UIs

Tailormade Games & Toys

Tempus Sensus

Mood Tracking

Smoking Cessation

Tag legend