Organisers

LAUREN SCOTT

Lauren Scott is a Research Fellow at Northumbria University. Their current research focusses on the terminology used to describe types of false information, and false information spread and correction. They explore how capacities can be built in vulnerable groups around limiting mis/disinformation belief and recognising AI generated information. Additionally, Lauren has collaborated on projects investigating digital literacy and poverty in older adults and the role that public libraries have in digital skill development. Lauren has also assisted with conference organisation, serving as local chair for ACI 2022, assistant to the paper chairs for CHIWORK 2023, and student volunteer chair for CHIWORK 2024. 

WILLIAM IMOUKHUEDE

William Imoukhuede is a Research Fellow at Northumbria University. He is currently working on a RAI UK skills project about generating resources for Young Refugees and Asylum Seekers (YRAS) on misinformation, disinformation, and AI literacy. 

He is interested in the ways emerging technologies affect communities and can be utilised as tools for social change. He will be starting his PhD with the CCAI-CDT at Northumbria in September focusing on Decolonising AI Design.

TETYANA VLASOVA

Tetyana Vlasova is a project manager for DCitizens project. Her areas of interest are International Education, International Projects Activity, and the Bologna Process. She is an experienced project manager and having managed 12 Tempus/Erasmus funded by EU, 6 British Council projects, 1 academic project funded by the Office for Students, 1 educational project funded by the Department for Education, 2 HORIZON programme projects . She is currently employed at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle and managing HORIZON 2023 project (DCitizens) and coordinating activity of CCAI CDT project funded by UKRI.

PAUL PARSONS

Paul Parsons is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University. His research is at the intersection of design, visualization, and cognition. He combines multiple human-centered approaches to investigate the nature of professional practice in sociotechnical settings and to design artifacts and experiences to improve such practice. Paul's current research projects focus on: design practice and design cognition relating to data visualization and user experience; macrocognition in complex sociotechnical settings, especially relating to data-driven decision making; and user experience for scientific cyberinfrastructure. 

AUSTIN TOOMBS

Austin Toombs leads the Community-Computer Interaction Lab (C-CIL). He was previously an Assistant Professor at Purdue University and an external research collaborator with Facebook. His research interests center on the impact that digital technologies have on how communities are formed and maintained. He is particularly interested in how certain kinds of relationships between individuals within a community are encouraged while others are discouraged, and how various technologies are used to implicitly enforce these distinctions. How interpersonal relationships are sanctioned (in both senses of the word) plays a vital role in the inclusivity, welcomeness, and diversity of a community.

COLIN GRAY

Colin M. Gray is an Associate Professor in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington, where they are Director of the Human-Computer Interaction design (HCI/d) program. Their research focuses on the ways in which the pedagogy and practice of designers informs the development of design ability, particularly in relation to ethics, design knowledge, and learning experience. Colin's work crosses multiple disciplines, including human-computer interaction, instructional design and technology, law and policy, and design theory and education.

SELINA MCCARTHY

Selina McCarthy is the Centre Manager for the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence (CCAI). She is responsible for ensuring the Centre is compliant, adequately resourced, and providing an exceptional experience for its cohorts of PhD Researchers. With extensive experience in Higher Education, Selina has worked in project management, regional development and research support roles. Passionate about Doctoral Training, Selina has also led on the establishment and management of Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs), both in London and her native North East

MATT WOOD

Matt Wood is an Assistant Professor in Computer and Information Sciences, where he is a researcher in Human Computer Interaction. He often employs creative and playful modalities into his research, much of which has been around digital sexualities which was the focus of his PhD thesis at the EPSRC Centre of Doctoral Training in Digital Civics at Open Lab, Newcastle University. He is currently the programme leader for the UKRI Centre of Doctoral Training in Citizen Centred AI (CCAI) at Northumbria University  

DAN JACKSON

Dan Jackson is a Senior Research Software Engineer within Computer and Information Sciences at Northumbria University. As part of a cross-disciplinary research environment, he collaborates on the development of research systems and prototypes, engineering solutions for projects that use a diverse range of technologies.  His primary research interests are with human-computer interaction with a recent focus on the areas of ubiquitous/pervasive computing and technologies that support health and wellbeing.

ANNA R L CARTER

Anna Carter is a Research Fellow at Northumbria University she has extensive experience in designing technologies for local council regeneration programs, her work focuses on creating accessible digital experiences in a variety of contexts using human-centred methods and participatory design. She works on building Digital Civics research capacities of early career researchers as part of the EU funded DCitizens Programme and on digital civics, outdoor spaces and sense of place as part of the EPSRC funded Centre for Digital Citizens. 

REEM TALHOUK

Reem Talhouk is an Assistant Professor in the School of Design and Centre for International Development at Northumbria University. She is also the co-lead of the Design Feminisms Research Group that aims to explore the plurality of feminist research and design. Her research has explored ways through which participatory design and its outputs may generate decolonial counter-narratives within the humanitarian and global development technological space. She has led research, workshops and SIGs focused on Technology, Design and Migration.

KATHERINE JONES

Katherine Jones is a Research Fellow at Northumbria University. Her current research focus is on responsible AI in law enforcement and criminal justice. She is particularly interested in exploring how user focused methodologies can be adapted to provide rich empirical research with outputs that use storytelling to inform the design and creation of accessible, meaningful and useable technologies across vulnerable groups and their social networks. Katherine’s academic background covers multiple disciplines including Psychology, Teaching, Children and Families Social Work, and Human-Computer Interaction.

SHAUN LAWSON

Shaun Lawson is a Professor of Social Computing and Head of the Department of Computer & Information Sciences at Northumbria University. His research lies at the boundaries between computing, design and the social sciences, and explores the use and significance of social media, and other collaborative and participatory digital services, in people’s lives. This includes a focus on the design, implementation and evaluation of new social platforms, applications and services as well as analysis of text, speech and image data. He was appointed the UK’s first Professor in Social Computing in 2011. He has conducted applied and cross-disciplinary work in areas including mental health and wellbeing, politics, activism, animal behaviour and sustainability. 

PAM BRIGGS

Pam Briggs work addresses issues of identity, trust and security in digital interaction and I’m particularly interested in exploring the experiences of those in more marginalised communities. I’m the Northumbria lead for the Centre for Digital Citizens, plus I’m a member of Northumbria’s Academic Centre for Excellence in Cybersecurity (ACE). 

KYLE MONTAGUE

Kyle Montague is an Associate Professor at Northumbria University and leads the NorSC Research Group. His research spans a breadth of topics and domains with the unifying vision - to address critical social problems and challenges by designing and configuring digital technologies that empower individuals and marginalised communities. More specifically, his work seeks to democratise access to the tools and processes by which we provision technologies and services that shape society.

Patricia Piedade

Patricia (she/her) is an HCI researcher who aims to leverage technology in ways that are innovative, inclusive, and impactful. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon. She is currently a PhD student at ITI/LARSyS (Inclusive Computing Lab) and INESC-ID (GAIPS) under the supervision of Hugo Nicolau (ITI/LARSyS), Rui Prada (INESC-ID), and Anna Carter (Northumbria University). 

In her current research, Patricia focuses on Neurodiversity, Public Spaces and HCI. In collaboration with fellow accessibility researchers, she remains dedicated to creating technologies that cater to the needs of minority groups and is committed to advancing knowledge in this field.

Luis Carvalho

Luis is a PhD student in Computer Science at Northumbria University, where he explores the root causes of web accessibility through an epidemiological lens. His research explores risk-based approaches to understanding how web technologies impact web accessibility at scale. With a background in software engineering and human-computer interaction, Luis has contributed to projects spanning health technologies, wearables, and digital inclusion. He has led the development of systems supporting people with Parkinson’s disease and collaborated with NGOs addressing homelessness.

Peter Hayton

Peter is a visually impaired PhD student of Human Computer Interaction at Open Lab, Newcastle University. He has a strong interest in accessibility, with his research focusing on the development of intelligent systems to improve urban mobility for visually impaired people. His research also focuses on the accessibility of human centred design methodologies for visually impaired researchers, such as himself. Peter has a BSc in Computer Science and has worked on digital accessibility, within the UK charity sector at a national level, before returning to academia to pursue his PhD.

Andrew Dow

Andrew is an Assistant Professor in the Computer and Information Sciences Department of Northumbria University and member of the NorSC social computing research group. As a researcher in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) he is principally interested in working with community organisations, charities and voluntary sector companies, to explore the design and implementation of digital tools that can better support them. Through co-production, co-design and collaborative co-inquiry he aims to investigate with community partners the opportunities and barriers of new and emerging technologies with the potential both to improve and hinder how they support often marginalised sectors of our society.

David Clark

David is a PhD student in Computer Science at Northumbria University, focusing on human-computer interaction. His research explores responsible AI implementation in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. Using participatory action research methods, David works closely with charities and SMEs in the North East to develop mechanisms to explore and use AI responsibly. David previously worked as a Research Assistant in Computer Science and currently serves as a Senior Research Assistant in Visual Communication and Digital Cultures, he is also part of the NorSC.