Jan Smeddinck

jan.smeddinck@newcastle.ac.uk

I am a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Digital Health at Open Lab and the School of Computing at Newcastle University in the UK. Prior to this appointment I spent one year as a postdoc visiting research scholar at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) in Berkeley and I retain an association with the TZI Digital Media Lab at the University of Bremen in Germany. Building on my background in interaction design, serious games, web technologies, human computing, machine learning, and visual effects, I tend to describe myself as a digital media generalist focusing on human-computer interaction (HCI) research.

To me, HCI is critical for understanding how digital technologies can best serve individual users and the society at large. At the same time, HCI research and development plays an active role in facilitating positive technology development and change. To this end, research must get involved with individuals, companies, and public institutions. I apply these principles in my work with a passion for applications around health, education, and environmental issues.

My PhD thesis, titled Human-Computer Interaction with Adaptable & Adaptive Motion-based Games for Health, focused on the personalization of exergames designed for use in physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and prevention. It features projects for different target groups, including older adults and people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Cherishing curiosity, cooperation, and exchange I have multiple years of experience of working and studying abroad visiting the USA, Thailand, France, Canada, and England and I have been awarded with long-term fellowships by the ASEM-DUO program, the Klaus Tschira Foundation (KTS), and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). I am also working pro bono as a leading board member at Mooqita.org, a California 501{c}{3} non-profit organization located in Berkeley with the mission of bringing education and work closer together. I am happy to contribute to numerous academic venues as a volunteer organizer and reviewer, including CHI and the IK, and I am a long-term member of multiple professional organizations in computing, including the ACM, GI, and AGI.