Steph Chen

Dr. Steph Chen is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Psychological Science at the University of Western Australia. She leads research in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition laboratory, focusing on optimizing human performance in complex systems. Her work bridges military and civilian domains, particularly maritime command and control environments. She completed a PhD on task automation in maritime contexts and serves as a Research Officer in the Royal Australian Navy since 2017.

Research interests include Human Systems Integration, team performance modeling, and decision-making in high-stakes environments. She collaborates with Defence Science & Technology Group on emerging technologies for maritime decision superiority. Notable contributions include studies on submarine control room dynamics and digital periscope innovations.

• Education: PhD in Human Factors (maritime systems focus)

Her work integrates cognitive science principles with real-world applications, emphasizing teamwork and technology-human interaction. Recent articles explore information integration impacts on teams and operator cognition in simulated submarine scenarios.

• Awards: Meister Memorial Award (2014)

Current projects include a Defence-funded initiative (2019–2022) assessing operational performance changes from new technologies. She advises on grants and lab operations, contributing to both academic and defense sectors.