Leila Alem

Senior Research Scientist

Contact

Crn Vimiera and Pembroke Roads
Marsfield NSW 2122

Tel: +61 2 9372 4366
Mob: 0437767751
Fax: +61 3 9545 8080
Leila.Alem@csiro.au

Themes

• Transforming the Future Mine

Projects

• Rio Tinto Rockbreaker project; human factors in telerobotics
• ShipLoader
• Nexsys

Science Area

• Human Factors

Biography

In 1991, after completing my PhD in AI at INRIA Sophia-Antipolis,(a PhD funded by the French Ministry of Research), I moved to Australia for a post doc at Sydney University, within the key centre of design computing and cognition where I investigated computational models of creative design. This research was funded by the Australian Research Council. In 1992 I joined CSIRO Division of IT, which then became CMIS, and is now ICT. I investigated AI methods and tools in a wide range of application domains: Air Traffic Control, Natural Resources Management, E-commerce, E-health to name a few. I also enjoyed liaising/engaging with industry & Government institutions (LWA, Adacel, AUSSYS, 3M, ACS, ACCESS, Johnson & Johnson etc..) and developing collaborative projects with other research institutions and industry partners.

In 2001 I was salaried visiting specialist at INRIA Sophia Antipolis for 10 months ( INRIA grant for visiting specialist from overseas) within ACACIA a research group internationally known for its work in technologies for knowledge management & corporate memory.

Since 2005 I have developed a scientific multi disciplinary research program for a new research group within the Networking Research Laboratory (Human Factors in Telepresence). I played a key role in building up the new group, by proposing and conducting a program of research that draws on cognitive psychology, social science and human-computer-interface research to investigate the media factors, the cognitive factors and the social factors at play in telepresence. I have liaised with key players in the telepresence scientific community to access expertise and formulate a research agenda.

My recent research interest include : Human Computer Interaction, Computer mediated interaction, Evaluation of information systems

Academic Qualifications

2002	Opportunity Evaluation: one subject of the Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University)
1991	PhD in Artificial Intelligence. University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France
1987	Postgraduate degree in signal and image processing. University of Nice, France
1986	Masters in Electronics and Automation. University of Nice, France

Recent Professional Experience

2009	Team Leader Human Factors in telecollaboration
2009	Project Leader Human System Integration (MDU project)
2004-2006	Research Leader : Human factors in Telepresence a new research area within the Networked research Laboratory, CSIRO ICT Sydney.
2002-2004	Project Leader Technologies for supporting information sharing. Site Manager. CSIRO Division of Information and Communication Technology, Australia, Melbourne.
2001-2002	Visiting Professor at INRIA Sophia Antipolis, within ACACIA research team knowledge based systems for supporting knowledge management, France.
2000	Visiting Professor at the University of La Reunion. AI in Ecommerce, multi agents systems, France.
1997-2000	Research Scientist: AI in e-commerce. CSIRO Division of Mathematical and Information sciences, Australia, Sydney
1992-1997	Senior Research Scientist: e-learning, AI in Education, HCI. CSIRO Division of Information Technology, Australia, Sydney.

Achievements & Awards

2009	Nomination for Julius Award by MDU

Other Highlights

2007-2009	Appointed as a Research Associate at the computer human adapted interaction research group (CHAI), school of Information Technology at the University of Sydney.
2006-2007	Appointed as a Visiting research fellow in the Faculty of Information Technology UTS Sydney.
2001-2002	Appointed as a salaried visiting Professor at INRIA Sophia Antipolis, France for one year.
2000	Appointed as a salaried visiting Professor at IREMIA , France for one month

Summary of Science & Technical Output

Student Supervision

2007-2009	Hamid Hrimich PhD student (co-supervising, principal supervisor Frederic Merienne from ENSAM France). Jian Zheng undergradute student from Sydney Univerisity.
2005-2007	Lizz Kougianous, Cara Stitzlein, Paulo Melo, Aiden Wickely undergraduate and graduate students from Australia, USA, Brazil and Canada
2003-present	John Avery, Phd student (co-supervising , principal supervisor prof John Yearwood from University of Ballarat university). In progress
2002	Secured a competitive ICT post graduate top-up scholarship for one of my PhD student.
2003	Supervision of a master student from RMIT, project successfully completed and contributed to follow-up PhD study.
2002	Secured a CSIRO scholarship for a master student
1999	supervised a master student from UNSW in the area of coalition formation among e-trading agents. Project successfully completed
1995-1998	Kalina Yacef , PhD student (principal supervisor) in the area of e-learning. Kalina has successfully completed her PhD receiving high distinction, and is now a lecturer at Sydney University.
1992-1995	Maria Lee, PhD Student(co-supervision, Primary supervisor Prof Paul Compton from UNSW).

Science Citizenship

o	PhD examiner for a PhD thesis on Understanding remote collaboration at University of Canterbury.
o	Editor of a special issue of the International Journal for E-learning. I co edited the issue and co wrote the editorial for the issue. Alem L. and Mclean A. (2005) Eds. Technologies for electronic documents for supporting E-learning. A special issue of the International Journal for E-learning (IJEL), Issue 99, Volume 9, 2005.
o	Member of The Human Factors & Ergonomics Society of Australia Inc
o	Member of ARC grant reviewers board

Top 10 Publications

Publication details
Alem L. (2009) Presence in video mediated interaction: case studies at CSIRO. In Media space: 20+ years of mediated Life; Steve Harrison (Ed). ISBN 978-1-84882-482-9.
Alem L., Joseph M., Kethers S., Steele C., Wilkinson R. (2008) Information environments for supporting consistent registrar medical handover. Journal of Health Information Management. Theme: Technology issues and the human component. 2008; 37(1) 9 - 24. ISSN 1833-3583.
Mee, W.; Alem, L., and Katz, E. (2007)Socio-technical evaluation of an ICT intervention to facilitate community participation. Int. J. Information, Communication and Society. 2007; 10(1):5-28. ISSN 0842-0130.
Melo, P. and Alem, L.(2007) Selective analysis of linguistic features used in video mediated collaboration: an indicator of users sense of co-presence. In: Baranauskas, C. and others, eds. Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT 2007: 11th IFIP TC13 International Conference; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Springer; 2007: 211-214. (Lecture notes in computer science. v. 4663). ISBN: 9783540747994.
Wickey, A. and Alem, L. (2007) Analysis of hand gestures in remote collaboration: some design recommendations. In: Billinghurst, M., ed. Entertaining User Interfaces: OzCHI 2007; Adelaide, S.A. ACM Press; 2007: 87-93. ISBN: 9781595938725
Li, J.; Wessels, A.; Alem, L., and Stitzlein, C. (2007) Exploring interface with representation of gesture for remote collaboration. In: Billinghurst, M., ed. Entertaining User Interfaces : OzCHI 2007; Adelaide, S.A. ACM Press; 2007: 179-182. ISBN: 9781595938725.
Alem, L.; Kethers, S., and Wilkinson, R. (2007)Information support for human communication in a critical situation. Supporting weekend handover in a medical ward: a case study. 10th European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (ECSCW '07): Workshop on Handover; Limerick, Ireland. 2007
Alem, L. and Mclean A. (2006) Supporting learning and information sharing in NRM with technologies for electronic documents. International Journal on E-Learning (IJEL). 2005; 4 (1).Special. issue: Technologies for Electronic Documents for Supporting E-Learning .Alem and Mclean (Eds).
Kougianous L., Alem L. and Adrieenson T. (2006) Supporting the non verbal aspect of tele collaboration : An interface perspective. In proceedings of international workshop at CHI2006, 11 Sept London UK.
Alem, L. and Kravis, S. (2005) Design and evaluation of an online learning community: a case study at CSIRO. ACM Sigraph Bulletin. 2005; 25 (1) : Special. issue on Online Learning Communities: design, theory and practice, Anabal Quan-Haase (ed). 20-24

Number of citations