Dr. Bahareh Nakisa

Dr. Bahareh Nakisa is a Senior Lecturer in Applied AI and the Course Director for Postgraduate Applied AI at Deakin University. She holds a PhD in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where she received the Executive Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award (top 5%). Before academia, she worked as an AI scientist in the industry. Her research spans AI, deep learning, human-machine interaction, computational cognition, and affective computing, addressing real-world challenges in healthcare, transportation, space, and defense. She focuses on developing AI systems that understand human performance, mental workload, and emotional dynamics to enhance human-machine collaboration. A sought-after speaker, she has delivered a TEDx talk and presented at prestigious conferences. She has authored over 50 publications in top-tier journals and secured over $2.6 million in research funding from organizations such as the US Defense Agency, Microsoft, CSIRO, and the Victorian Government.