Lin Li, Ph.D.

I am a social science researcher with eigth years of experience designing, executing, and managing research projects in understanding human needs and behaviors related to technology use. I am passionate about studying how people use various technologies in different contexts, particularly how technology can be designed better to support users’ health and wellbeing. My research focuses on communication technologies, health information technologies, and the psychology of technology use. I am currently working with Anne Marie Piper on Project Lend as a researcher in the User Experience Team in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. 

I received my Ph.D. from the Information and Media program at Michigan State University. Over the years, I have worked on projects including older adults’ use of fitness trackers and carework platforms, social media use among college students, sharing behaviors using communication technologies, student engagement and outcomes during online learning, and adoption of automated mental health tools.  I love working with people and data, and am adept at using various generative and evalutive research methods to understand user needs. 

My work has appeared in leading journals and conferences in human computer interaction, psychology, and health-related fields, such as in CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Medical Internet Research: mHealth and uHealth, Telemedicine and e-Health, International Journal of Communication, and Health Communication.  I have also won multiple top paper awards in national and international conferences for presenting research studies that are rigorously designed and well-executed. 

In my spare time, I enjoy practicing yoga, playing with my cat, going to antique stores, reading non-fiction, and learning new recipes.