Damien MassonView profile
Assistant Professor
Professor Damien Masson is an Assistant Professor in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at the Université de Montréal , affiliated with Mila and IVADO . He leads the Montréal HCI group and focuses on interactive systems for AI, document interaction, and software learning. His research bridges HCI principles with AI to enhance user experience in complex applications. Education : PhD in Computer Science (University of Waterloo, 2019-2023), MSc in Computer Science (Université de Lille, France), BSc in Computer Science (Université de Lille, France). Research Interests : Designing intelligent systems (e.g., DirectGPT), visualizing information (e.g., Charagraph/ChartDetective), and augmenting digital documents (e.g., Chameleon). He explores how interface metaphors and direct manipulation can improve interactions with AI and data. Recent Work : His 2025 CHI papers introduced Textoshop (drawing-inspired text editing) and linked writing tools to user needs. In 2024, DirectGPT demonstrated faster LLM interactions via direct manipulation. Earlier work includes Statslator (statistical reporting) and ChartDetective (data extraction from vector charts). Awards : 2024 Bill Buxton Award (best HCI dissertation), 2023 CHI Best Paper (ChartDetective), and 2020 CHI People's Choice Award (Chameleon demo). Lab & Collaborations : Based in the André-Aisenstadt building, his group collaborates with institutions like Mila and UWaterloo. He actively mentors students in HCI and AI-related projects.










