Nick Kabrel

About me

I'm a doctoral researcher at the University of Zurich and a Digital Society Initiative (DSI) Excellence Fellow. My work sits at the intersection of psychology and human-centered AI, where I explore and advocate for AI systems designed in a way that enables personal and professional flourishing. As a part of DSI, I'm currently serving as the chair of the DSI Community Work. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to become a member and get involved in our interdisciplinary projects!

Beyond my scientific work, I regularly write featured articles for popular outlets and give talks at various conferences and forums (see "media" section). In my free time, I'm an avid skier and road cyclist, depending on the season.

Before entering academia, I worked as a counseling/coaching psychologist, both in private practice and with the youth academy of Football Club "Shakhtar." Although my passport name is Mykyta, everyone calls me Nick.

My research

I am an interdisciplinary researcher working across mental health, conversational AI, education, and organizational behavior — always with the goal of understanding how people grow and how technology can support that process.

Over the past years, I have:

Developed together with my co-author, Jaan Aru, a novel neurocognitive framework for understanding the process and mechanisms of psychotherapy — published in Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Together with colleagues, we suggested a framework for integrating conversational AI into real-world mental healthcare systems — currently under review (see preprint).

Studied how awareness develops in therapy, analyzing interviews with counseling clients to map the mechanisms behind insight experiences — currently under review.

Investigated how organizations adopt AI, introducing the idea of an "AI use culture" that shapes whether chatbots help or hinder creativity, learning, and well-being — respective pieces published in Training Industry Inc., and The European Business Review.

Worked on human-centred AI in education, focusing on how universities and vocational schools can integrate AI in ways that empower rather than deskill learners.

What connects these projects is a central question:

How can we design technology that enhances human awareness, growth, and creativity, instead of reducing them?