Kim Drnec PhD

Professional Experience: Cognitive Neuroscientist

Current

I have worked in the domain of Human Autonomy Teaming for 10 years. Currently, I am a cognitive neuroscientist for DOD contractor, Infoscitex, leading teams working to create innovative Human-Machine Interfaces for next generation software platforms supporting our Battle Managers. I am particularly interested in applying visual search and working memory theories to reduce operator cognitive workload while simultaneously allowing an increase in numbers of autonomous vehicles an operator can supervise during a mission.

However these theories have been developed with laboratory research where each cognitive process is studied in isolation. I am interested in building a model using algebraic topology that can take into account individual mental frameworks against which multiple cognitive processes are engaged concurrently.

Past

While working with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory I lead teams designing, executing, and analyzing complicated, cross-service experiments focused on Human Autonomy Teaming (HAT) I functioned as the subject matter expert on our team for HAT. I firmly believe that trust in autonomy is irrelevant because even if it directly mapped to autonomy use, it cannot be measured or managed in real time. I guided the team's focus toward that idea and our research focused on operator decision making and behavior, and ways to affect it in real time. We implemented a human-in-the-loop system that predicted and managed human use of the automation using a control theoretic framework. The initial results suggested that this approach significantly improved system performance.

Professional Experience: Veterinarian

I practiced as a small animal veterinarian and official veterinarian for an abattoir in the South of England for 3 years. In that time I received a Certificate of Small Animal Cardiology. As the veterinarian for the abattoir I improved the welfare of the animals both in transit and at slaughter by enforcing rules, forcing the management to purchase a new stunner, and bringing prosecutions against farmers and transporters who violated the UK animal welfare laws.

I left practice to work as a veterinarian for Genus Breeding, the largest breeding company in the UK. While there I was instrumental in developing a new branch of the business by leveraging another veterinarian's ground breaking research in freezing stallion semen. I contracted and analyzed research designed to test the hypothesis that mares could be bred on a fixed time system, eliminating the need for expensive specialized, veterinary involvement. I was responsible for sourcing the stallions listed in our catalogue from Germany, Holland, and Sweden.

In 1996 we moved to India where I set up and ran a charity for the working animals in Old Delhi. I trained friends from the expatriate and local community to be veterinary technicians, and we raised money such that all treatment provided by our group was free. We only required that no acts of cruelty be committed. It was a truly fulfilling experience and our group helped many people regain the use of their animals, allowing them to continue to earn money while providing pain relief to the animals while they healed.