Tanja Aal

Tanja Aal is a researcher and external doctoral student at the University of Siegen's Faculty of IT for the Ageing Society. Affiliated with Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller's subproject A05 in the Collaborative Research Center 1187, she focuses on HCI4Margins, community-based research, and inclusive technology design. Her academic journey includes a B.A. in Sociology from TU Berlin (2015) and an M.A. in Media and Society from the University of Siegen (2018).

As a research assistant, she contributed to projects like come_In (intercultural learning), My-AHA (aging), and LionAlert (human-animal conflict), conducting ethnographic fieldwork in Morocco and Botswana. Her work spans participatory design, smart cities, and ethical AI, emphasizing marginalized populations and multispecies justice. Key research areas include digital inclusion, eHealth, and methodological innovation in sensitive contexts.

Publications highlight her work on AI ethics (e.g., 'c(ai)borg' guilt), human-wildlife coexistence (LionAlert), and inclusive smart city design. She has also explored technology's role in prisons, refugee mental health, and hybrid citizen research methods during the pandemic. Tanja’s contributions bridge theory and practice, advocating for equitable technology through participatory frameworks.