Sensory Perception & Interaction Research Group

University of British Columbia

Elizabeth Reid

Bereket Guta

Bereket is an Engineering Physics student at UBC completing his last year of studies. He is interested in research that lies at the intersection of machine learning and robotics with applications to assistive technology. At SPIN, he is working as a part of the emotional modelling group under the supervision of Laura Cang and Rubia Guerra.

Devyani McLaren

devyanim@cs.ubc.ca

Devyani is a first-year PhD-track student with the SPiN lab. She completed her BSc from UBC, majoring in Cognitive Systems (COGS): Computational Intelligence and Design. During her undergraduate degree, she completed research in the Brain Behaviour Lab for robot-assisted rehabilitation for stroke patients. She hopes to combine her interests in Neuroscience and HCI at SPiN. 

Kattie Sepehri

ksepehri@cs.ubc.ca

I am a Master's student in the Computer Science department. I started the DFP program in September 2020. Previously, I obtained a BSc in Biology (genetics focus) from UBC. I enjoyed studying biology and worked in a lab that studied Arabidopsis (plant genetics). However, after more exploration of my interests, I pursued a BSc in Computer Science from SFU. During my time at SFU, I got introduced to research in neuroscience and had the opportunity to apply my technical skills in a meaningful way. As I was involved with designing and developing software for various users, I realized the benefits of leverging the power of machines in health technologies. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, exploring new places and watching documentaries about random topics (mostly nature). One of my accomplishments is co-founding UniLink in 2013, which is a non-profit with the goal of introducing various research fields and university degrees to high school students.

 

 

Isran, R., Sepehri, K., Thivendran, K., & Anwar, A. (2021). Towards More Effective Data Visualization Methods Using Haptics. IEEE World Haptics. Montreal.

Year Departed: 
2022

Rubia Guerra

Unma Desai

Unma is a Master's student in the Department of Computer Science. She has worked in the field of HCI in healthcare, and is interested in the role haptics can play in providing enhanced and accessible healthcare. 

Year Departed: 
2023

Hanieh Shakeri

Hanieh's research interests include Human-Computer Interaction - specifically Haptics and Multimodal Interaction - as well as Computer Vision. She holds a BSc. in Interactive Arts and Technology from Simon Fraser University with a minor in Computer Science.

Year Departed: 
2020

Kevin Chow

kchowk@cs.ubc.ca

Kevin is an undergraduate student in the Department of Computer Science at UBC. He joined the SPIN lab as a volunteer to learn more about and participate in Human-Computer Interaction research. He is currently helping in the development of various applications and interactions based around the Gelly sensor. 

Year Departed: 
2019

Meghana Venkataswamy

Meghana is a Master's student at the Department of Computer Science with interests in technologies involving social interaction, artistic expression and affective communication. She is currently working with SPIN to design the software architecture on the Cuddlebots. When Meghana is not busting bugs, she likes to read comics, hike and play with her two adorable dogs.

Year Departed: 
2017