We are pleased to have Alex Mariakakis from the University of Toronto presenting at our SFU VINCI seminar.

Alex M>

Date: Monday, June 2, 2025

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Location: TASC1 9204, Burnaby campus

Zoom Link: Join via Zoom

Talk Title: Embracing Ubiquitous Technology to Complement, Scale, and Extend Traditional Healthcare

Abstract:
Traditional healthcare is centered around face-to-face interactions between patients and clinicians. While these human relationships are important for establishing empathetic and ethical care, they limit the extent to which healthcare can be accessed and delivered. Ubiquitous technologies like smartphones and wearables can augment traditional healthcare workflows by increasing people’s access to health-monitoring tools. Rather than viewing healthcare as a reactive endeavor, we can work towards proactive approaches like preventative screening, continuous disease management, and informative visualizations that empower all stakeholders to make informed and timely decisions. To achieve this vision, my research group applies signal processing and machine learning on sensor data to measure vital signs and infer symptoms. Since these technologies may sometimes be intended for people without medical training, my group also explores how such tools should be designed to achieve clinically relevant goals. In this talk, I will highlight three lines of research: (1) acoustic cardiac sensing with earbuds, (2) accurate and informative menstrual health tracking, and (3) chatbots for clinical pre-consultation.

Biography:
Alex Mariakakis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto and an Affiliate Scientist at KITE. He runs the Computational Health and Interaction (CHAI) lab, which leverages ubiquitous and emergent technologies to address problems related to people’s health and wellbeing. His work has garnered multiple Best Paper Awards at ACM venues (CHI, COMPASS) and significant attention from media outlets ranging from the BBC to National Geographic. Alex received his Ph.D. from the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. As a student, he received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship, and the Gaetano Borriello Outstanding Student Award at UbiComp 2018.