Prof. Abigail Sellen is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, UK, where she manages the Human Experience & Design Group, a group concerned with human experiences with computing, drawing on diverse perspectives across the sciences, engineering, arts, and humanities. Designing systems which use computer vision and machine learning for real-world situations, particularly in the area of health and well-being, is a major research theme for the group. Prior to joining Microsoft, Abigail worked at Hewlett Packard Labs, Bristol, Xerox's research lab in Cambridge UK (EuroPARC), the MRC Applied Psychology Unit, Cambridge, and other corporate IT labs such as Xerox PARC, Apple Computer, and Bell Northern Research. She has a doctorate in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego and an M.A.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. She has published extensively on many topics including: computer input, help systems, reading, paper use in offices, videoconferencing design, search, photo use, gesture-based input, human error and computer support for human memory. This includes the book The Myth of the Paperless Office (with co-author Richard Harper), which won an IEEE award. She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Fellow of the Women's Engineering Society, an Honorary Professor of Interaction at the University of Nottingham, an Honorary Professor at UCLIC, University College London, and a member of the ACM SIGCHI Academy.
