Dr. Angelica Lim is the Director of the SFU Rosie Lab and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. Previously, she led the Emotion and Expressivity teams for the Pepper humanoid robot at SoftBank Robotics. She received her B.Sc. in Computing Science (Artificial Intelligence Specialization) from SFU and a Ph.D. and Masters in Computer Science (Intelligence Science) from Kyoto University, Japan. She has been featured on the BBC, TEDx, hosted a TV documentary on robotics, and was recently featured in Forbes 20 Leading Women in AI. 

Passionate about diversity, she is the Director of Invent the Future (AI4ALL) program for Canada, teaches CMPT 120: Introduction to Computing Science and Programming and has developed the SFU Computer Science Teaching Toolkit, with the goal of inspiring people of all backgrounds to pursue Computing Science. She also teaches Introduction to Software Engineering and Affective Computing. 

Payam Jome Yazdian is a Ph.D. student in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. He received his BSc degree in Software Engineering from the University of Sistan & Baluchestan, Iran, in 2014 and his MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics from the University of Tehran, Iran in 2017. His main research interests include Affective Computing, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Cognitive Science, and Machine Learning. 

Paige Tuttösí is an AI Engineer at Enchanted Tools in Paris and a part-time postdoctoral research assistant with Rosie Lab and the Department of Linguistics at SFU. Her research focuses on human robot interaction and speech technology, she is specifically passionate about technology aided second language acquisition. Currently Paige is working on a Breaking Barriers collaborative project between SFU School of Computing Science and the Department of Linguistics investigating adaptive vocal interfaces for human-AI interactions. Her PhD thesis was completed with the Rosie Lab and was titled "I Know You Are Listening: Adaptive Voice for HRI". She has several publications in prestigious speech science and robotics conferences, was an HRI Pioneer in 2025, and was awarded the France Canada Research Fund to conduct her thesis research at Institut FEMTO-ST in France. Before all of this, Paige used to be a physical anthropologist and studied Asian religion, then she turned to statistics and computer engineering and dabbled in French the whole way through. When Paige is not working she likes to ski, dance ballet, compete in agility with her dog and play around with FPGA boards. Website. 

Bita Azari is a Ph.D. student in the School of Computing Science at SFU. She received her M.Sc. degree in Computing Science (Human-Robot Interaction) from SFU in 2019 and her B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Amirkabir University of Tehran in 2016. Her main research interests include Affective Computing, Human Robot Interaction and Cognitive Science.

Morteza Badali is a Ph.D. student in the School of Computing Science at Simon  Fraser  University  (SFU).  His  research  focuses  on  developing advanced deep learning algorithms for adaptive robot-to-human handover systems and robot grasping. Morteza has served as a sessional instructor at  SFU,  teaching  Artificial  Intelligence  (CMPT  310)  and  Embedded Systems  (ENSC  351).  Prior to his Ph.D., he worked as a robotics and software  engineer  at  Advanced  Systems  and  Technology  (AIS), specializing in autonomous robotic solutions for agricultural applications. He  earned  his  M.Sc.  in  Mechanical  Engineering  (Control  Systems  and Robotics)  from  Isfahan  University  of  Technology,  Iran,  and his B.Sc. in Mechanical  Engineering  from  the  University  of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran. He also contributed to the development of Iran’s pioneering implant dental system, AVITA, as a designer and CNC control programmer.

Chuxuan (Shay) Zhang is a Ph.D. student in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. She received her BA degree in Mathematics and Psychology from the University of British Columbia with high distinction. Her current research interests are Social Navigation, Reinforcement Learning and Human-Robot Interaction. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in Preventive Medicine from Xiamen University, China. 

Adrian Chang is Ph.D. student in computer science at Simon Fraser University. He did his undergrad at Brown University where he worked with Daniel Ritchie in the Visual Computing Group. He has also worked on 3D reconstruction at Vision Systems and interpretability at the Bau Lab. He works primarily on modeling and understanding human movement. Adrian is originally from Carlsbad, California.

Zachary Syvenky is an M.Sc. student in the School of Computing Science at SFU, continuing his studies after completing a B.Sc. in Computing Science with an Extended Minor in Psychology, also at SFU. During his undergraduate studies, a course in affective computing sparked his interest in research, leading to him to pursue graduate studies and joining the Rosie Lab. Combining his passion for computer science and psychology, his research interests include affective computing, human-robot interaction, human behaviour detection, and robot-assisted therapy. Outside of research, Zach is passionate about circus arts. He regularly performs trapeze and juggling and also runs a circus club.

Zoe Stanley is a Cognitive Science undergraduate student and FASS Dean’s Fellow at Simon Fraser University, with concentrations in computing science, neuroscience, and analytical philosophy. With a deep interest in neuropsychology and formalising of emotional states, Zoe is passionate about exploring frameworks and technologies that foster emotional well-being. Zoe’s current research involves developing AI systems capable of improving user outcomes in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and affective computing.

Albin Soni is an M.Sc. student in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. Previously, he received his BASc in Biomedical Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 2026. During his undergraduate degree, his work involved co-creating technologies with older adults and physiological signal processing for wearable PPG, EMG, and ultrasound. At SFU, Albin hopes to apply his interdisciplinary background, combining neuroscience, signal processing, and co-creation, to develop technologies that enhance human connection and focus.