Shahariar Ifti

I am a Research Assistant at the Design Inclusion and Access Lab (DIAL), North South University, Bangladesh, where I work with Dr. Nova Ahmed on Human-Computer Interaction research.

I study how people in underserved and resource-constrained communities experience health, wellbeing and technology, and design technology with them. My research is grounded in mixed-methods fieldwork: interviews, surveys, workshops and co-design with university students, low-literate women, physicians, commuters and young people in Bangladesh. When a problem calls for it, I also build low-cost sensing systems (ESP32, PPG, GSR, IMU) and machine learning models that generalize to new people.

Recent work includes a World Bank-funded nationwide study of student mental health (under review at ACM CHI 2027), co-design workshops on technology adoption with low-literate women, Spondon, a US$46 stress-sensing wearable published at ACM COMPASS 2026, and a wearable for post-stroke rehabilitation. I also work with researchers at Cardiff University, the University of Leeds and Pennsylvania State University.

Research interests

• Human-centered design of technology for underserved populations
• Machine learning that generalizes across individuals (personalization, subject-independent evaluation)
• Wearable and physiological sensing for stress and mental health
• Low-cost health technology for the Global South

I hold a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from North South University (2024). I am applying for PhD positions starting in 2027 in HCI, ubiquitous and mobile health, and ICTD. Get in touch if my work fits your group.