Melika Vafafar

Biography

Melika Vafafar is a PhD candidate in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) in the computer science department, and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Northeastern University London. She is supervised by Dr. Sian Joel-Edgar, Dr. Chee Siang (Jim) Ang, and Dr. Casper Harteveld.

Qualifications

Melika holds an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from University of Reading, where her thesis examined individual differences in autistic traits and social attention. She also holds a BSc in Clinical Psychology from the University of Science and Culture Tehran. Her academic background spans clinical psychology and cognitive neuroscience, which she integrates into her current HCI research.

Research

Her research explores how artificial intelligence and immersive environments can be designed to support mental health and emotional well-being.

Melika adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates HCI design practices, aiming to inform the development of empathetic, responsible, and ethically grounded AI technologies for mental health contexts. Methodologically, her research uses mixed methods, including focus groups, semi-structured interviews, surveys, questionnaires, and biofeedback data collection, with a focus on participatory and co-design approaches. Alongside her doctoral research, Melika has professional and research experience across academic, clinical, and applied mental health settings, including roles with medical school research projects, mental health organisations, and honorary research roles within NHS Talking Therapies.