I am a design researcher deeply interested in using evidence-based methods to enhance comfort, performance, and human–building interaction within the built environment. My work advances empirically grounded design, focusing on developing tools and techniques that improve our understanding of the impact of design—whether virtual or built—on human behavior, particularly tools that can be integrated into design workflows rather than applied post-hoc. My research combines immersive virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies with a human-centered design problem-solving method to examine how environmental factors, such as lighting, wayfinding, spatial layout, and sensory stimuli, affect cognitive and emotional responses. Using EEG, eye tracking, and other physiological tools, I investigate human-building interactions, spatial navigation, and wayfinding in complex environments.

My research projects span healthcare, workspace design, and residential environments, bridging neuroscience, architecture, and digital technologies. Over the past years, I have conducted research at DAIL funded by the NIH, NSF, and NIDILRR. The outcomes of my research include a novel VR-testing platform for evaluating wayfinding design, a platform for social engagement and cognitive intervention for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, and VR tools for enhancing users’ spatial learning. The impact of my translational research in design practice has been recognized through a Touchstone Gold Medal Award from the Center for Health Design and an Innovative Research on Aging Award.