In June 2025, I officially joined TU Dortmund University as a Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science and became part of the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security (RC Trust). With this move, I also established the new Chair of Human-AI Interaction, a space dedicated to rethinking how humans and intelligent systems interact, collaborate, and learn from each other.
After 4.5 enriching years at LMU Munich, I am excited to move to the Ruhr area and contribute to a dynamic research ecosystem. At the RC Trust, I look forward to building new bridges between psychology, computer science, and AI, all through the lens of human-centered design and interaction.
The Vision for Human-AI Interaction
At the chair, we will explore how people and intelligent systems can work together, using voice, gesture, physiology, and shared environments. Our research draws from HCI, robotics, and generative AI to develop systems that are adaptive, transparent, and collaborative. We are especially interested in real-world, multimodal settings that combine digital and physical interaction.
Our core research themes include:
- Generative AI in Interactive Systems
- Human-Robot Interaction
- Physiological Computing and Implicit Interaction
- Mixed and Cross-Reality Interaction
- Privacy, Trust, and Ethical HCI
- Tools and Methods for Intelligent System Development
We are currently setting up two spaces: an HRI lab with robotic platforms and a psychological sensing lab equipped with high-density EEG and eye tracking. These will support our efforts to design and evaluate intelligent systems that adapt to users’ mental states, social signals, and environments.
Looking Ahead
In the coming months, we will bring several new courses to TU Dortmund, including Introduction to Intelligent User Interfaces and AI in Interactive Systems. These courses, developed and taught previously at LMU Munich, will enrich the teaching program by connecting human-computer interaction with applied machine learning and AI methods.
We are also open to supervising student theses and collaborating on projects that bring together AI, design, and interaction.
In addition, I am currently in the process of hiring new PhD researchers to help shape the future of the chair. These positions will cover a range of topics across our research areas, including generative AI, human-robot interaction, and physiological computing. If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in one of these areas, I encourage you to reach out.
Stay tuned for updates as the lab grows. Robots are arriving, cables are being plugged in, and ideas are taking shape.