Aimen Gaba

Hi and welcome!

I am a Computer Science PhD candidate at University of Massachusetts Amherst, working with Dr. Cindy Xiong Bearfield at the intersection of Human-Centered AI, and Data Visualizations.

I use an interdisciplinary approach in my research, drawing from HCI, ML, phychology, and social science. My work spans topics such as Human-AI interactions, Explainable AI (XAI), Ethical AI, and Accessibility. Concretely, I investigate the perception of bias in ML models, along with methods to improve user trust by improving model fairness. In my accessibility research, I focus on disability-led innovation, especially with blind and low-vision (BLV) communities. Rather than positioning users as subjects or testers, I design studies that give participants the tools, time, and autonomy to define their own problems and create their own solutions.

What ties my work all together is a commitment to understanding how people navigate and experience technology in complex real-world contexts with the end-goal of making it more transparent and safe to use. I try and use innovative human-centered study design methods, from interviews, and surveys, to trust games, and speculative + participatory design.

I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with inspiring researchers in the field including Yuriy Brun, Emily Wall, Vidya Setlur, Arjun Srinivasan, and Jane Hoffswell.

Before embarking on my PhD journey, I worked for about 2 years after completing my bachelors in Computer Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lahore, Pakistan) advised by Suleman Shahid. During this time, I worked on creating and designing educational games for children (2D and 3D), and as a UX/UI designer for educational platforms.

Outside of work, I’m a big foodie. I love trying out new cafes and food spots. I like to experiment with cooking and baking too + exploring beautiful hiking spots. I also enjoy swimming, and pickle ball. But more often than not, you will find me re-watching the Harry Potter series, Linday Lohan’s Parent Trap or just curled up reading a book in some corner.