Design.Experience. Change.
I am a computer scientist turned human-computer interaction researcher.
I like to make that distinction because I never thought of “users” during my years of training as an engineer. I would build things—and that was it. Did anyone use it? How was their experience? Could their experience be better? These questions never crossed my mind.
So I have spent over a decade asking those questions—and continue to think about them. Computers keep awing us with their prowess every day. But how will people use them? How will people benefit from them? How will society, culture, economy, and policies change because of them? How will we change? I ask these questions in my work—currently focusing on the design of technology for older adults and technology caregiving.
I believe good design creates better experiences that can ultimately change people’s behavior.
Connect with me on
Read my articles on
Meet my Team
As a faculty member in the Computer Science department at the University of Illinois Chicago, I work with a talented bunch of Ph.D. students. Read more about their work on Google Scholar.
More details about my research are in my full academic CV.
Current Students
Alumni
What's New?
June 2026
Full paper on LLM-assisted problem articulation for older adults seeking technology support conditionally accepted at ASSETS 2026.
May 2026
Our paper on patient-centered design recommendations for AI-generated discharge summaries won the Outstanding Paper Award at IEEE ICHI 2026 (Human Factors Track).
March 2026
Our NIH-funded work on patient-centered discharge summaries was accepted as a full paper at IEEE ICHI 2026.
March 2026
Nina’s work on the use patient portals among older adults was accepted as a full paper at IEEE ICHI 2026.
March 2026
My guest column on technology caregiving was published this past Sunday in The Washington Post. You can read the piece online or find it in print in the March 15th Health & Science section. And check out what Don Norman had to say about it.
February 2026
Two posters accepted at CHI 2026. Congrats Nina and Pantea!
December 2025
I was awarded the University of Illinois Chicago’s 2025–26 Teaching Recognition Program (TRP) Award.
June 2025
I will be presenting our work on supporting the continued digital engagement of older adults at the GSA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting this November.
March 2025
Hasti successfully defended her Ph.D. Congratulations, Dr. Hasti Sharifi!

