Organizers

Elisabeth is a Full Professor of Computer Science and Chair of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence at the University of Augsburg, where she leads pioneering research on multimodal interaction, embodied conversational agents, affective computing, and socially aware AI. She is internationally recognized for shaping the field at the intersection of AI and HCI, and for her long-standing leadership in major scientific communities. Elisabeth has an extensive track record in organizing high-impact international events, as General Chair or Program Chair for leading conferences (ICMI, IUI, AAMAS, IVA, ICSR, and AIED), and as the main organizer of multiple Dagstuhl Seminars on social agents, cultural behavior, and interactive technologies. She has also initiated and coordinated long-running workshop series, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and community building. Her contributions have been widely acknowledged through numerous awards, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize and election to the CHI Academy. André is considered one of the foremost figures in human-centered AI and continues to play a key role in advancing collaborative research across disciplines. 

Email: andre@informatik.uni-augsburg.de 

Cristina is a Professor of Computer Science at UBC and a world-renowned expert in human-centered AI. Her research lies at the convergence of AI, HCI, and cognitive science, with the goal of creating intelligent systems that not only perform useful tasks but are also transparent, adaptive, and trusted by their users. Cristina has made significant contributions in user modeling and intelligent user interfaces – for example, pioneering ways for AI to predict users’ goals, knowledge or affective states and tailor interactions accordingly to improve both efficiency and user satisfaction. She is also known for her work on explainable AI and balancing AI automation with user control. Cristina is an AAAI Fellow and an ACM Distinguished Member, recognitions that highlight her influential work in making AI more human-aware.

Email: conati@gmail.com 

Maristella is a Full Professor of Computer Engineering at Politecnico di Milano and leads the Human-Centric Interactive Technology (HINT) Lab. She has 25+ years of experience in HCI research, with contributions at the intersection of user interface design and web engineering, and she teaches courses on Human-Computer Interaction and Human-Centered AI. Maristella has organized numerous international events in the HCI and web engineering fields, and she is chair of the ACM SIGCHI Mediterranean regional committee and vice-chair of ACM SIGCHI Italy, the Italian HCI community. Her current interests include methodologies for designing advanced interactive systems and ensuring that emerging AI technologies are aligned with human needs and values. The impact of her research on society and inclusivity has been recognized by two Google Awards for research on Society-centered AI (2023 and 2025).

Email: maristella.matera@polimi.it 

Shelly is a Full Professor at Ben-Gurion University, where she directs the Cognition, Aging & Rehabilitation Lab in the Department of Physical Therapy. Her research explores how interactive technologies and robotics can assist rehabilitation and improve quality of life for older adults and people with disabilities. Shelly has extensive experience with participatory design – she actively involves end-users in the design process of novel technologies, applying this approach to a diverse range of systems from rehabilitation robotics to socially interactive devices. In recent years, she has also co-led a global initiative, in collaboration with the UN’s ITU, as part of the AI FOR GOOD annual conference in Geneva, to develop guidelines and regulations for social robots in vulnerable populations, reflecting her commitment to the ethical and inclusive design of AI. Shelly’s interdisciplinary work (spanning robotics, healthcare, and human factors) and her participatory approach ensure that the human perspective remains central in technological innovation.

Email: shelly@post.bgu.ac.il 

Micol is an Assistant Professor at Politecnico di Milano whose research focuses on socially intelligent systems – particularly social robotics, human-robot interaction, and affective computing. She has worked on developing socio-emotionally adaptive robots that act as personalized coaches to promote users’ well-being. Micol brings expertise in designing AI-driven interactive technologies that can perceive and respond to human emotions, enabling more natural and engaging interactions between people and AI. Her work exemplifies human-centered AI in practice, bridging technical innovation in AI models with deep consideration of user experience.

Email: micol.spitale@polimi.it