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About

Ngaire Kerse is a leading researcher at the intersection of gerontology, healthcare technology, and assistive robotics, with a distinguished body of work focused on improving the lives of older adults through innovative technological interventions. Her research has fundamentally shaped our understanding of how older populations perceive, accept, and benefit from healthcare robots in aged care settings. Kerse's pioneering contributions include landmark investigations into the psychosocial effects of companion robots — her 2013 randomized controlled trial on this topic has garnered over 550 citations, establishing her as a foremost authority in the field. Her early studies examining retirement village residents' and staff attitudes toward healthcare robots laid critical groundwork for user-centered robot design, accumulating hundreds of citations and influencing subsequent research worldwide. She has also extended this work beyond aged care facilities, conducting trials exploring robotic support for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and those experiencing mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Across her career, Kerse has consistently bridged clinical rigor with compassionate inquiry, ensuring that technological development remains responsive to the real needs, fears, and preferences of vulnerable populations. Her cumulative citation impact — exceeding 1,750 across her top works — underscores her profound and enduring influence on the evolving field of socially assistive robotics.