Gaayathri Sankar is a Ph.D. candidate with a passion for research that lies at the intersection of people, business, and technology. Her work leverages mixed methods data to inform user experience and decision-making across applications in healthcare and robotics. She focuses on applying eye-tracking technology to understand and quantify cognitive processes such as engagement in real-time. Through her research, Gaayathri aims to bridge the gap between theoretical insights and practical solutions, thereby enhancing the design of human-centered systems that foster inclusive and evidence-based innovation. Prior to PhD, she did a MS in UX during which time she worked as a graduate assistant with Prof. Sharon Johnson and Prof. Soussan Djamasbi.