Dr. Umair
Rehman.

I study what happens when people use complex technologies.

Sometimes these technologies help us think more clearly, decide faster, or act with more confidence. Sometimes they do the opposite. They add friction, create confusion, shift responsibility, or make certain kinds of mistakes easier to miss.

My work looks at that space between people and systems — especially in human–AI interaction, extended reality, games, healthcare, transportation, and other settings where trust and accountability matter.

The goal is not simply to ask whether a technology works. The better question is: works for whom, under what conditions, and at what cost?

That is the question that runs through my research. I try to produce careful evidence that can help us design systems people can actually rely on — systems that are understandable, accountable, and aligned with human values, rather than systems that only look good on performance metrics.

I lead the Human-Centered Computing Group, where we build the tools needed to answer these questions well. We design measurement instruments, run empirical studies, analyze behavior, develop predictive models, and study signals from both people and systems. In simple terms, we try to understand not only what technology does, but what it does to the people who use it.