POOJA M. DESAI

Hey there! I'm a 5th year Ph.D. student in Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, advised by Dr. Lena Mamykina.

 

My research blends health informatics and human-computer interaction. I build human-centered AI tools that empower people to manage their health outside the clinic. Most of my work has focused on supporting personalized and sustained healthy decision-making around diabetes, nutrition, and maternal mental health.

 

I'm especially interested in building technology that accounts for individuals' personal values and context, exploring new ways to communicate health information to patients, and helping people interrogate and appropriately trust AI systems.

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I'm an alum of Barnard College, Columbia University ('18) where I completed my BA in Neuroscience. Before my Ph.D. I worked in the Neurocognition, Early Experience, and Development (NEED) Lab (led by Dr. Kimberly Noble) and implemented studies on childhood brain development, including the Baby's First Years Study.