Thalia Viranda is a PhD student in Information Science at Cornell Tech, advised by Prof. Tanzeem Choudhury. Thalia’s work bridges human–computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, and clinical psychology. She designs and evaluates sensor- and LLM-based tools to enhance evidence-based treatments for older adults with cognitive impairment and adolescents with eating disorders, and to support collaboration among patients, caregivers, and clinicians.

As a DLI Fellow, she examines the ethical challenges of using AI and sensing technologies in mental health care (e.g., diagnosis, therapy, and behavioral monitoring) and how these considerations shape the design of personalized, collaborative digital health tools. Her work explores questions such as: How can we design systems that engage adolescents as active participants in their care—even when their preferences may be shaped by an illness like anorexia—without compromising the integrity of evidence-based treatment? What should a caregiver know versus a clinician, and how do these distinctions influence remote care and clinical decision-making?