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Irene Rae investigates how robotic telepresence systems reshape human communication across distances. Her work focuses on the intersection of embodiment, spatial presence, and social dynamics in robot-mediated interaction. Rae’s landmark study “Bodies in Motion” (99 citations) established foundational understanding of how mobile videoconferencing systems alter remote collaboration, while “In-body Experiences” (96 citations) identified critical design features that improve distributed communication quality. Her influential research on height in robot-mediated communication (92 citations) demonstrated that a robot’s physical elevation significantly affects perceptions of persuasiveness, dominance, and attractiveness—paralleling dynamics in face-to-face interaction. Rae’s large-scale deployment study “Robotic Telepresence at Scale” (68 citations) extended understanding beyond controlled settings, revealing successes and limitations in real-world venues. Her recent work “So Close and Yet So Far” (2021) examines how embodiment shapes the effects of geographic distance on collaboration. Rae’s contributions have shaped both the design of telepresence robots and theoretical frameworks for understanding mediated presence, with her papers collectively cited over 500 times. She has been recognized for advancing human-robot interaction research that directly informs commercial telepresence systems used in business, healthcare, and education.