Sarah Ostadabbas
Deepening machine insight into human behavior
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Sarah Ostadabbas leads the Augmented Cognition Laboratory (ACLab) at Northeastern, working at the intersection of computer vision, machine learning, and pattern recognition. In her research, she develops visual perception algorithms that enable machines to understand and predict human behavior by observing their physical, physiological, and emotional states.
The ACLab’s research goal is to create augmented cognition systems to enhance human information processing capabilities rather than replace them. The lab collaborates with medical doctors, psychologists, and therapists to define problems and create targeted solutions for healthcare providers, individuals with sensory impairments, and the elderly. In development are digital prosthetics, augmented and virtual reality applications, and other data/technology-based forms of cognitive and assessment support.
Ostadabbas earned a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.