The VisGroup goes to Dublin!

“Ah, I can see you are a [researcher] like myself.” – James Joyce, Dubliners [with a VisGroup spin].

Last week, Laura Garrison and 2nd-year PhD student Roxanne Ziman escaped some rare sunny days in Bergen to travel to Dublin for a visit with Asst. Professor Kevin Doherty’s HCI for Health and Care Research Lab at the University College Dublin (UCD). Laura and Kevin connected at CHI ’24 (where Laura presented her work on historical data cultures [1]) and found mutual interest in questions surrounding visualization and HCI design for health.

The visit started Thursday morning with a joint seminar talk given by Laura and Roxanne about visualization strategies through shifting contexts. They highlighted approaches for exploring the different contexts that contribute to the ways in which visualizations may be designed and read, with a focus on affective visualization design in health and medicine, Roxanne’s primary research interest.

The rest of the visit was filled with exciting and productive brainstorming sessions with Kevin’s PhD students (above left, María Paola, and Kaylee, middle), conversations with fellow colleagues, campus tours, and a delightful romp around lively Dublin in the evenings (including dinner at Laura’s favourite restaurant in Dublin, The Ramen Bar!).

We’re certainly looking forward to future visits, across both sides of the North Sea!