Our work in human-centered computing explores and enhances the ways in which people and communities engage with and experience technology.
Our research considers the personal, educational, cultural, and ethical implications of innovation. Drawing upon techniques from human-computer interaction, learning sciences, sensing and more, we aim to maximize the potential benefits of technology while minimizing potential harms to individuals, groups and society.
Groups & Labs
Interactive Data Lab
The Interactive Data Lab aims to enhance people’s ability to understand and communicate data through the design of new interactive systems for data visualization and analysis.
Wildlab
The Wildlab explores how technology can be biased against people who are unlike those who created it — and to build systems that help designers, developers, and researchers better support the needs and perspectives of different people.
Allen School Faculty
Professor
Associate Teaching Professor
Associate Professor
Professor
Centers & Initiatives
The Community-Engaged Computing Initiative (CECI) is a joint initiative to support community-centered scholarship and research within the broad computing and information field. Co-led by the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, and the Information School, the initiative was launched in 2025 through a gift from Google. CECI supports projects that bring UW faculty and graduate students together with community partners to bring sustainable, equitable, and inclusive technology into real-world contexts.
The Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) got its start in 2011 as one of several Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) funded by the National Science Foundation. CNT is headquartered at the University of Washington, with core partners at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and San Diego State University. CNT researchers focus on developing and applying principles of engineered neuroplasticity to revolutionize the treatment of spinal cord injury, stroke and other debilitating neurological conditions.
Highlights
UW News
AI models with trillions of parameters are too large to run on many smart devices, but accessing them in the cloud leads to multi-second delays. Micro language models developed by researchers in the Mobile Intelligence Lab bridge the gap and provide instant responses to users.
Allen School News
In the latest installment of a Q&A series exploring grand challenges in computing, professors Franziska Roesner and Sewoong Oh discuss how they and their colleagues aim to develop a safer, more secure and privacy-preserving future through technologies that better serve people and society.
UW News
Allen School Ph.D. student Yael Eiger and professor Franziska Roesner discuss their research examining people’s experiences with technology during and after incarceration and the broader impacts of technology used for policing and post-release monitoring.