Mahsan Nourani
Research Professor
Education
- PhD in Computer Science, University of Florida
- MSc in Computer Science, University of Florida
- BE in Information Technology (Computer Engineering), University of Tehran — Iran
Biography
Mahsan Nourani is a research assistant professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, based at the Roux Institute in Portland, Maine.
Nourani’s research focuses on people's interactions with and understanding of AI and machine learning systems — specifically those used for AI-assisted decision-making — with the goal of enabling the creation of human-centered and responsible AI. Standing at the intersection of human–computer interaction, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the social sciences, and psychology, Nourani explores how people with varied experiences and backgrounds use AI, and how their differences influence the potential harms associated with AI systems. Her research also turns outward, exploring the transformative impact of AI on societies while scrutinizing the harms it may introduce.
Before joining Khoury College in 2023, Nourani held various research positions and internships at the University of Florida, Texas A&M University, Apple, and Microsoft Research’s Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics in AI team. She received an honorable mention award at ACM IUI in 2021 and has presented or published in AAAI HCOMP, IEEE TVCG, IEEE CG&A, ACM IUI, and ACM TIIS.
In her free time, Nourani loves engaging in outdoor adventures, playing video games, gardening, and practicing aerial circus arts.
Recent publications
-
Explainable Activity Recognition in Videos using Deep Learning and Tractable Probabilistic Models
Citation: Chiradeep Roy, Mahsan Nourani, Shivvrat Arya, Mahesh Shanbhag, Tahrima Rahman, Eric D. Ragan, Nicholas Ruozzi, Vibhav Gogate. (2023). Explainable Activity Recognition in Videos using Deep Learning and Tractable Probabilistic Models ACM Trans. Interact. Intell. Syst., 13, 29:1-29:32. https://doi.org/10.1145/3626961 -
An Evaluation of View Rotation Techniques for Seated Navigation in Virtual Reality
Citation: Brett Benda, Shyam Prathish Sargunam, Mahsan Nourani, Eric D. Ragan. (2024). An Evaluation of View Rotation Techniques for Seated Navigation in Virtual Reality IEEE Trans. Vis. Comput. Graph., 30, 4257-4270. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2023.3258693 -
On the Importance of User Backgrounds and Impressions: Lessons Learned from Interactive AI Applications
Citation: Mahsan Nourani, Chiradeep Roy, Jeremy E. Block, Donald R. Honeycutt, Tahrima Rahman, Eric D. Ragan, Vibhav Gogate. (2022). On the Importance of User Backgrounds and Impressions: Lessons Learned from Interactive AI Applications ACM Trans. Interact. Intell. Syst., 12, 28:1-28:29. https://doi.org/10.1145/3531066 -
DETOXER: A Visual Debugging Tool With Multiscope Explanations for Temporal Multilabel Classification
Citation: Mahsan Nourani, Chiradeep Roy, Donald R. Honeycutt, Eric D. Ragan, Vibhav Gogate. (2022). DETOXER: A Visual Debugging Tool With Multiscope Explanations for Temporal Multilabel Classification IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 42, 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1109/MCG.2022.3201465