Matthew Brehmer

Matthew Brehmer (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, where he joined in Fall 2024. He leads the Ubiquitous Information Experiences (UBIX) research group, focusing on human-computer interaction and data visualization. Prior to Waterloo, Brehmer was a lead researcher at Tableau and a member of the EPIC HCI research group at Microsoft Research.

Brehmer's research spans data visualization, human-computer interaction, and ubiquitous information experiences, with particular emphasis on spatial computing, multimodal interaction, and data storytelling. His work explores innovative ways to communicate and collaborate around data through techniques like gesture recognition, augmented reality video presentations, and novel timeline visualization approaches. He has pioneered techniques such as Diatoms for generative design inspiration and TimeSplines for flexible timeline authoring.

His recent publications reveal a growing focus on spatial computing interfaces and multimodal data communication, particularly through projects like Tableau for visionOS and Tableau Gestures. His research increasingly bridges the gap between physical and digital spaces for data interaction, with applications in remote collaboration, presentation techniques, and expressive data storytelling.

Scientific Awards:

• IEEE VIS Test of Time Award (2023) for 'A Multi-Level Typology of Abstract Visualization Tasks'
• IEEE VIS Best Paper Award (2023) for TimeSplines
• ACM UIST Best Paper Honorable Mention (2022)
• IEEE VIS Best Paper Honorable Mention (2018) for Charticulator

Brehmer actively contributes to the visualization community through service roles including the IEEE VIS Executive Committee (2022-2026), Maryland Institute College of Art Data Analytics and Visualization MPS Advisory Panel (2023-2026), and as Publications Chair for the IEEE Computer Society Visualization and Graphics Technical Community Executive Committee (2022-2025). He has served on program committees for IEEE VIS, ACM CHI, Computation + Journalism, and Information+ conferences.

Brehmer directs the UBIX research group (ubixgroup.ca), which focuses on ubiquitous information experiences through projects exploring spatial computing, gesture recognition, and novel interaction techniques for data visualization. The group recently developed Tableau for visionOS and RemixTape, a presentation authoring tool for narratives about metrics/KPIs.