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About

Setareh Nasihati Gilani is a researcher working at the intersection of human-computer interaction, multimodal dialogue systems, and assistive technology, with a particular focus on vulnerable and underserved populations. Her most prominent and impactful work addresses a critical gap in early childhood development: the language deprivation experienced by deaf infants born to hearing parents. Recognizing that over 90% of deaf children grow up in households with limited sign language exposure, Gilani has pioneered the development of robotic and virtual human systems designed to deliver naturalistic sign language input during the crucial 6–12 month developmental window. Her 2018 paper on teaching language to deaf infants using a robot and virtual human has garnered 55 citations, establishing her as a leading voice in this niche but consequential domain. Alongside this, her work on multimodal dialogue management for infant-directed interaction (20 citations) demonstrates technical depth in designing socially contingent, age-appropriate conversational systems. More recently, she has expanded her scope to explore human-swarm interaction, investigating how virtual spokespersons can facilitate coordination between humans and autonomous robot teams. Across her research, Gilani consistently bridges technical innovation with meaningful real-world impact.