About

Dr. Jiyeon Lee is a psychologist and researcher whose work sits at the intersection of counseling psychology, digital safety, and human-technology interaction. Holding a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University and licensed as a psychologist in the United States (New York State), she brings both clinical depth and research rigor to questions that matter urgently in today's digital world: How do people experience harm online? What psychological mechanisms drive those experiences? And how can systems, platforms, and policies be designed to protect rather than expose?

How we design digital spaces is a psychological and social question—one that shapes who feels safe, who causes harm, and who bears responsibility. Dr. Lee's research examines the full ecosystem of online harm—cyber harassment, deepfakes, and non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII)—through a gender-inclusive lens that resists placing the burden of protection on any single group, and instead attends to the experiences, behaviors, and responsibilities of all parties involved. A core ambition of this work is to translate Safety by Design principles into practice: drawing on psychological theory to move beyond abstract policy commitments and toward concrete, evidence-based mechanisms embedded in the design of platforms, services, and governance frameworks.

More recently, her work has expanded into AI-human interaction: integrating counseling psychology theories into the development of psychologically informed AI agents, and examining the relational dynamics that emerge between humans and AI systems. This emerging line of research positions psychological science as essential to the responsible design of intelligent technologies.

Advisory & Policy

Founding Committee Member, Facebook Oversight Board (Meta)

Member, Psychology Coalition at the United Nations (2013–2017)

Selected Participant, GovStack Women in GovTech Challenge III (2026) — competitive global programme by GovStack, World Bank, UNDP, and UCL focused on citizen-centric digital government services; cohort of women leaders from 50+ countries

Digital Safety Advisor, Meta and Bondee — AI-driven safety policy, user-centered safety strategy, and digital well-being frameworks

Advisory Board Member, Kering Foundation — women's safety and gender-based digital harm prevention

Policy Advisor, Correctional Policy Advisory Committee, Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea

Policy Advisor, Drug Treatment Expert Committee, Office for Government Policy Coordination, Republic of Korea

Developer of digital safety and UX frameworks for policymakers and technology leaders across public and private sectors

Invited Speaker

Conference Presenter, 1st Cyberpsychology Symposium: Innovation, Ethics, and Practice in the Digital Era, Albizu University, San Juan, Puerto Rico (2026)

Keynote Speaker, Ending Digital Violence Against Women, 2025 Orange the World Campaign, Austrian Embassy in Seoul (2025)

Panelist, Digital Governance and Online Gender-Based Violence, Women as Economic Drivers Symposium, Executive Yuan & FWRPD, Taipei, Taiwan (2025)

Panelist, Korea Youth and Women's Safety Roundtable, Meta Korea, Seoul (2025)

Panelist, Empowering Women and Businesses to Have Safe Online Workplaces, Third Senior Officials' Meeting, APEC, Incheon (2025)

Selected Research Grants

Principal Investigator, Development of Mindfulness AI Training Content and Coaching for Samsung Health, Samsung Electronics (2025)

Co-Investigator, AI as a Psychologically Informed Digital Companion: Regulatory Focus Theory, Mirroring Theory, and Emotional Contagion, Amorepacific Foundation (2025)

Principal Investigator, The Influence of YouTube Binge Eating Vlog Viewing on Perception and Behavior among South Korean Women with Binge Eating Tendencies, Amorepacific Foundation (2023)

Principal Investigator, Guidelines to Prevent Secondary Sexual Victimization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea (2018)

Co-Investigator, Elders' Digital Literacy, Loneliness, and Intellectual Rigidity, Korea Research Foundation (2019–2021)

Academic Leadership

Dean of Student Affairs, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (2024–2026)

Director, Student Counseling Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (2017–2020)

Awarded Best Counseling Center, Korean Counseling Psychological Association (2019)

Awarded Best Counseling Center, Korean University Counseling Center Association (2019)

Professional Service

Korean Counseling Psychological Association Director of Public Relations (2026) · Chair, Clinical Case Committee (2025) · Vice Chair, Academic Conference Committee (2024) · Vice Chair, Editorial Board (2023–2024) · Vice Chair, External Affairs Committee (2018–2019)

American Psychological Association (APA) Early Career Professional (ECP) Leadership Award (2015) · Chair, Web Committee, Div. 52 (2013–2015) · Member, Ad Hoc Central Programming Working Group, Board of Convention (2013)

International Member, Psychology Coalition at the United Nations (PCUN) (2013–2017)

Publications

80+ peer-reviewed publications (primarily SSCI and Scopus indexed)