Shital Desai

Dr. Shital Desai is an Associate Professor and Tier II York Research Chair in Accessible Interaction Design at York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. She leads the CFI-funded Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) Lab, focusing on UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and wellbeing through accessible technologies and policies for marginalized groups. Her work emphasizes human-centered design of assistive technologies for seniors, dementia care, and global health. She holds a PhD from Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Dr. Desai's research bridges design, technology, and policy, with a strong emphasis on participatory methods. She collaborates with the WHO Dementia Knowledge Exchange and contributes to global health systems through initiatives like the Connected Minds program. Her expertise includes STEAM education integration, mixed reality applications, and accessibility guidelines for emerging technologies like the Metaverse. She has been recognized with awards such as the Petro Canada Young Innovator Award and was a semi-finalist for the Longitude Prize for Dementia.

• Education: PhD, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
• Labs/Teams: Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) Lab
• Outreach: Global health projects, Montessori co-design initiatives
• Grants: NSERC Discovery Grant, CFI funding

Her articles explore topics ranging from mixed reality cues for dementia patients to pandemic-era senior connectivity. She actively mentors students in systems thinking and human-centered design principles.