Biography
Dr. Dena Al-Thani is an Associate Professor, Co-Founder of the A-sense Center of Excellence, and Head of the Information and Computing Technology Division at the College of Science and Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London. Her research interests include accessibility, inclusive design, and eHealth.
Dr. Al-Thani actively publishes in top journals and presents at international conferences. Her research on inclusion aims to make a global impact. She is a member of the WHO’s technical advisory group on assistive technology and the Arab ICT Accessibility Expert Group, led by Mada.
Keynote Title: From Sensing to Personalization: The A-Sense Route Toward Inclusive and Human-Centered Technologies
Abstract:
The Autism Sensing Center of Excellence (A-Sense) is a world-class research hub dedicated to advancing innovative technologies for the assessment and support of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Through interdisciplinary collaboration across computing, medicine, and education, A-Sense develops solutions that empower autistic children and their families. The Center’s work combines artificial intelligence (AI) and state-of-the-art sensing technologies to enable the quantitative and personalized assessment of behavior, forming the foundation for adaptive and inclusive learning systems.
This keynote will present an overview of the Center’s portfolio of projects that integrate AI, behavioral sensing, and human-centered design to create technologies that adapt to individual needs. A particular focus will be devoted to the Attention Assessment Project, which aims to objectively detect and interpret the attention of children with ASD which is a key factor influencing learning outcomes. While teachers often rely on subjective observations to gauge attention, A-Sense introduces a data-driven approach using machine learning and unobtrusive sensing technologies, such as webcams and eye-tracking devices, to analyze gaze direction, facial expressions, and head pose. The work from this project highlights the importance of personalization in model design—moving beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all paradigm toward systems that adapt to individual behaviors. By tracing the A-Sense journey from sensing to personalization, this talk underscores a broader vision: True inclusion is achieved when we design technologies that recognize and respond to the uniqueness of every individual.