Prof. MA Xiaojun, Associate Head (Research & Knowledge Transfer) and Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and her co-authors have been recognized with a Best Paper Award and an Honorable Mention at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, which was held on May 11-16, 2024 in Honolulu, United States.

Best Paper Award
Prof. Ma received the Best Paper Award for her collaborative research on “Technology-Mediated Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Dementia: Needs for and Challenges in Professional, Personalized and Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Interventions”. This groundbreaking paper addresses the vital role of technology in supporting Non-Pharmacological Interventions (NPI) for People with Dementia (PwD). By exploring the potential benefits of integrating technology into ongoing intervention practices, Prof. Ma joined a team of experts led by Prof. SUN Yuling (East China Normal University) and Prof. TONG Xin (Duke Kunshan University) to emphasize the importance of personalized evaluation, planning, and collaborative execution involving multiple stakeholders. Their findings shed light on the limitations of existing technologies and propose implications for designing more effective and practical NPI technologies.

Honourable Mention Award
Prof. Ma also received Honourable Mention award for her co-authored paper titled "Getting the Healthcare We Want: The Use of Online "It is hard to remove from my eye: Design Makeup Residue Visualization System for Chinese Traditional Opera (Xiqu) Performers." This study focuses on the skincare challenges faced by Chinese traditional opera performers due to the long-term use of heavy-metal-laden face paints. Through an online survey and interviews, Led by Mr. Zeyu Xiong, an MPhil student co-supervised by Prof. Mingming Fan and Prof. Ma, the research team discovered that incomplete removal of makeup, particularly eye makeup, was a primary cause of skin problems. To address this issue, they developed a prototype called EyeVis, which visualizes residual eye makeup and records the duration of makeup wear. The deployment study demonstrated the positive impact of EyeVis on performers, enhancing their awareness, confidence, and sense of security regarding skincare while contributing to the preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of Xiqu practitioners.

About the ACM CHI Conference
The ACM CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems serves as a global platform for researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders to exchange cutting-edge work and insights in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. The conference fosters collaboration and the exploration of emerging developments and trends within the discipline.