Research Opportunities in CHAI Lab

I have been fortunate to have multiple advisors with different advising styles, including Prof. Michael Twidale and Prof. Jessie Chin. I have also had the privilege of meeting mentors such as Prof. Benjamin Cowan, Prof. Minha Lee, and Prof. Cosmin Munteanu, whose diverse approaches to running a research lab have left a lasting impression on me, shaping my own approach. Through these experiences, I have been able to adapt and integrate elements from their methods that resonate with my personality and goals. As I continue to learn and grow, I find one of the greatest rewards of working with students is the opportunity to continually learn about and from them. I am committed to this ongoing learning and evolution, aspiring for it to positively impact my research and grow into something even more impactful and meaningful.

Broadly, my research area falls under human-computer interaction (HCI) and, more specifically, Conversational AI or Conversational User Interfaces (CUIs). I believe that using natural language (whether it is text or voice) as a modality is an extremely powerful and intuitive way of interacting with machines. I have witnessed people with no prior exposure to computing technologies interact with commercial CUIs like Alexa or Siri and build meaningful relationships with them. This, I believe, is magical and represents the future, and I want to build a lab that shapes this future.

The overarching goal of my mentorship is to help students find their unique areas of interest and conduct original, independent, and ethical research that positively influences society. Since my research is in CUIs, I will recruit students who are interested in the same. Here, it needs to be said that CUI is a rather broad umbrella term. Traditionally, it meant chatbots, but it can now also mean Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) and Generative AI tools built on large language models. In my research so far, I have worked with all kinds of CUIs and think there is much more to be explored and achieved.

My research explores three dimensions of human interaction with CUIs. To design human-centric CUIs, it's crucial to understand people's mental models when engaging with these conversational machines. This understanding is key to creating CUIs that enhance people's lives, whether by developing interfaces capable of teaching or connecting users to relevant health information. Simultaneously, the process of understanding and creating CUIs sheds light on the design methodologies used to craft these experiences. It's essential to refine these processes and align the overall design process with people's mental models to create interfaces that are aligned with the people who use them.

If this research direction excites you, I encourage you to reach out to me about joining my lab. For Fall 2025, I'm currently looking to recruit two PhD students. If we find there's a good fit, I would be happy to support your application to the Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD program at CAMD. You can find more information about the program at: https://camd.northeastern.edu/programs/interdisciplinary-design-and-media-phd/

Additionally, I am actively seeking graduate and undergraduate students at Northeastern to assist with ongoing projects. If you're a current Northeastern student interested in my research, please don't hesitate to contact me.