MIT Media Lab

Overview

Designing affective technology to support the well-being of vulnerable populations.

Role

Graduate student researcher

Major Contributions

FOSterING Well-being

In my master’s thesis work, I am exploring ways to design technology that promotes healing and care for young people who have experienced foster care in Massachusetts.

My methodologies draw on design justice, trauma-informed design, healing-centered engagement, and human-centered design frameworks – centering the perspectives and experiences of young people who have been in foster care, prioritizing reciprocity and safety, and following an iterative prototyping process.

I am excited to be doing this work in collaboration with Friends of the Children Boston, JRI Foster Care Program, Stepping Forward LA, Think of Us, and TeenTalk. 

This project is generously funded by The Shah Family Foundation.

Photo Dec 07, 4 21 19 PM3 (1)

ACU.ATION

Co-designed an intervention that aims to mediate the urge to smoke by pairing a wearable device that delivers transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) with a mobile application that provides Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). 

Given the pervasiveness of cigarette smoking, high rates of relapse, and limitations of existing treatments, it is critical to explore new methods of relapse prevention. Our solution draws from acupuncture’s global use in treating addiction and recent evidence that non-invasive TEAS can reduce the urge to smoke after exposure to a drug-related cue. 

Specifically, we have designed a device formed to four acupoints (LI4, PC8, PC6, and TH5) located on the wrist and hand, and programmed to deliver 5-15mA stimulation. Through a paired mobile application, individuals are simultaneously guided through an MBRP intervention to help them take control of their response to the trigger. Together, this system provides real-time relief from the urge to smoke so individuals can better engage with cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention strategies in high-risk moments.

Published at ACM CHI EA 2022. Read the publication here.