Robin Welsch (Assistant Professor for Engineering Psychology and Team leader)

I am dedicated to ensuring that technologies like the metaverse and AI are developed with humans in mind. It is crucial that new technologies benefit humanity and contribute to sustainable societal growth, rather than disrupting our lives and changing the way we think, feel, and understand the world.

I teach students with varying backgrounds the foundations of cognitive psychology and psychological methods and apply these insights in practical scenarios to the design and evaluation of technology.

In my research, I highlight potential challenges and advocate for the importance of considering the human mind when designing technologies. It is essential that we create human-centric technology that keeps people in control.

Agnes M. Kloft (Doctoral Researcher)

I am a doctoral researcher specializing in human-computer interaction in the Engineering Psychology group at Aalto. My background is in psychology with a focus on neuroscience, and I have a strong interest in user experience. I began my PhD by exploring the placebo and nocebo effects of AI systems. Now, my research focuses on measuring shared audience experiences in art and music performances, both in real-life and extended-reality settings. I take a mixed-methods approach, integrating measures, such as physiological signals and questionnaires, with behavioural and qualitative assessments. Bringing together insights from different fields helps me better understand how people engage with technology.

Daniela Fernandes (Doctoral Researcher)

I’m a doctoral researcher at Aalto University, and I have a background in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I’m focusing on human-AI interaction and how we can enhance humans’ cognitive abilities through hybrid intelligence. I am interested in how we can improve human-AI interaction from a metacognitive perspective, developing new systems that use both ML metrics and cognition metrics for optimal performance.

Salla Nicholls (Research Assistant)

I am a Master’s student in Systems and Operation research and have a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Psychology from Aalto University. I’m passionate about understanding the interaction between humans and technology, especially in maintaining and designing critical infrastructure. Exploring the combination of mathematics, psychology and programming brings me joy.

Kert Vesinurm (Research Assistant)

I am a Computer Science student at Aalto University, exploring the uncharted realms of digital art and programming. My lifelong pursuit is to unlock the hidden depths of interactivity and immersion in games. I seek mastery across all forms of art, drawn to the infinite possibilities that arise when worlds collide, genres merge, and boundaries dissolve.

Beatriz Mello (Visiting Researcher)

I’m a visiting researcher in the Engineering Psychology Group at Aalto, and a doctoral researcher in Psychology, more specifically in Human Cognition, at the University of Minho (Portugal). In Aalto, I’m working on social interactions under a VR setting and in Minho I work on prospective memory (i.e., memory for future intentions) with both behavioural and neural measures.
I have a soft spot for research in human memory and neurosciences and the ability to combine different tools to study psychological effects.

Otso Haavisto (Research Assistant)

I’m a research assistant and a master’s student in human-computer interaction. With a background in computer science, I have primarily been working on the technical implementation of the group’s studies. My interests include user experience and interaction design, which makes the group the perfect place to gain practical knowledge that complements my studies.

Esko Evtyukov (Research Assistant)

I am studying Engineering Psychology at Aalto University. I have a zealous passion for games. The impacts of new advances in XR and AI tech are of particular interest to me as they may change how digital art is made in the coming decades.

Elise Shen (Research Intern)

I am a master’s graduate from University of British Columbia, Canada. My research focuses on Computer Mediated Communication, particularly on how alterations in voice and visual presentation influence self-perception and perceptions of others. My aim is to enhance communication outcomes by increasing empathy and reducing bias. I leverage AI and VR technologies to achieve these objectives.

Julian Fabinc (Research Intern)

I am studying Human Factors at Chemnitz University of Technology and I am joining the group at Aalto as a research assistant during summer. I am fascinated by latest technologies like AI and XR, especially by the impact they can have on us and on society in general. In the future, I’d like to figure out how we can get the most out of these technologies whithout any drawbacks for our lives.

Marissa Verbokkem (Research Intern)

I am a research assistant spending my summer at Aalto University. I study Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and specialize in Brain & Cognition. I am especially interested in statistics, data science, artificial intelligence and studying human behaviour using tools such as VR.

Jasper Quinn (Research Intern)

l’m currently doing my Masters in Applied Cognitive Psychology at Leiden University. I’m interested in pursuing a career in research, which is why I’m super excited to be part of this amazing team.
I’m a massive fan of cyberpunk, so my topics of interest include consciousness, extended reality, artificial intelligence, and a mixture between human augmentation and splicing humans with technology.
I’d like to do something of worth in the betterment of the lives of individuals, specific groups of people, and societies as a whole.