Dr. Samaneh Zolfaghari | Assistive Technology Award | Best Researcher Award 

Dr. Samaneh Zolfaghari, Mälardalen University, Sweden

Samaneh Zolfaghari is a postdoctoral researcher at Mälardalen University, Sweden, specializing in the intersection of technology and human well-being. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Cagliari, Italy, with a focus on mining locomotion traces to support frail individuals with cognitive impairments. Prior to her doctoral studies, she completed her M.S. in Software Engineering at Alzahra University, Iran, and her B.S. in Software Engineering at Shahid Rajaee University, Iran. Her research experience spans various international institutions, including roles as a visiting scholar at the University of Greifswald, Germany, and as a researcher in the AIBD Lab at UniCa, Italy. Her academic work emphasizes human activity recognition, data mining, and AI applications in health contexts. She has also contributed to educational activities, including seminars and teaching assistant roles, and is currently supervising several Master’s theses in collaboration with international universities.

Professional Profile:

Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award:

Samaneh Zolfaghari is a highly accomplished researcher with a notable record of contributions to the field of computer science, specifically in human-computer interaction, activity recognition, and smart home technologies. Her research work is characterized by its focus on improving human well-being through innovative technological solutions. Her Ph.D. dissertation, “Locomotion Traces Data Mining for Supporting Frail People with Cognitive Impairment,” highlights her commitment to addressing complex challenges in ambient assisted living environments.

Education:

🎓 PhD in Computer Science (2019–2023)

• University: University of Cagliari, Italy
• Dissertation: Locomotion Traces Data Mining for Supporting Frail People with Cognitive Impairment
• Supervisor: Prof. Daniele Riboni
• Co-supervisor: Prof. Diego Reforgiato Recupero

🎓 M.S. in Software Engineering (2015–2017)

• University: Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
• Thesis: Human Activity Recognition in Ambient Assisted Living Environments
• Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mohammad Reza Keyvanpour
• GPA: 16.63/20

🎓 B.S. in Software Engineering (2011–2013)

• University: Shahid Rajaee University, Tehran, Iran
• Thesis: Increase the accuracy of decision-making algorithm in 2D Soccer Simulation using probability distributions
• Supervisor: Dr. Hamid Reza Shayegh Boroujeni
• GPA: 17.65/20

Professional Experience:

🔬 PostDoc Researcher at Mälardalen University (May 2023 – Present)

• Project: PRE-Fall: Personalized fall Risk reduction based on Early detection of deteriorated physical abilities

🔬 Researcher at University of Cagliari (May 2023 – June 2023)

• Project: Use of Graph Neural Networks for the recognition of activity via sensor data

🔬 Visiting Scholar at University of Greifswald (January 2023 – March 2023)

• Project: BehavE: Behaviour Understanding through Situation Models for Situation-aware AssistancE

🔬 PhD Researcher at AIBD Lab, UniCa (October 2019 – January 2023)

• Project: AI and IoT technologies for supporting frail people

🔬 Visiting Scholar at University of Rostock (July 2021 – December 2022)

• Projects: Benchmark in Activity Recognition for Kitchen Task Assessment

Publication top Notes: