If I were to capture the essence of my work in a newspaper headline, I’d say…

“My research interests surround the interface of people and machines – focusing in particular on the sense of touch. My group mixes computational modeling efforts with the design and prototyping of devices with which people directly interact.”

Background

I am a Professor in Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia, with courtesy appointments in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering. My group’s research interests are in general related to the fields of haptics, computational neuroscience, human factors and ergonomics, biomechanics, and human–machine interaction. We employ computational models, statistical analysis, data science, and imaging techniques, design and build unique mechanical and electrical devices, and perform psychophysical experiments with human participants. Our research is highly collaborative and interdisciplinary and primarily lies in the domain surrounding human heath. I also teach courses tied to human-machine interaction and user experience design. I served as co-chair of the IEEE Haptics Symposium in 2018 and 2020. I currently serve as chair of the IEEE Technical Committee on Haptics and as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Haptics.