Hanlu Shi is a PhD student in the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne and a member of the ARC Training Centre in Optimal Ageing. Her work spans artificial intelligence, digital health and human-computer interaction, with an interest in how intelligent technologies can support healthy ageing in everyday life.

Huiyi Liang is a PhD student in human-computer interaction at the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne. Drawing on a background in psychology, her research interests lie in digital mental health and the wellbeing of ageing populations. Her PhD research explores how voice assistants can be designed to support family connections across households.

Jiani Xie is a second-year PhD candidate at the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, specialising in the security and privacy of machine learning systems, with a focus on audio applications. Her research spans the robustness of speech recognition models and privacy risks in music generation models, aiming to support the development of more secure and trustworthy AI. Prior to her PhD, she completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Melbourne. In DC 2026, she serves as the Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator.

Reyhaneh is a Graduate Researcher in the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on clinical and medical search, with a particular interest in using AI and large language models to improve access to high-quality medical information. Her work aims to develop more effective and reliable search systems that help patients and clinicians find relevant evidence and support healthcare decisions.

Hey! I’m Shashank Sanjay Bhat, a PhD candidate at the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne. My research focuses on quantum optimisation for robotics and autonomous systems, driven by my fascination with how quantum mechanics could help shape the next generation of computing.

When I’m not thinking about optimisation problems, I enjoy designing things and 3D printing them at the university. My current and surprisingly ambitious project is trying to 3D print Agamemnon’s helmet (From Odyssey), which is turning out to be quite the task.

Despite all the time spent around computers, I promise I’m not a complete couch potato. I enjoy hiking and have recently developed an interest in running. I’m also a bit of a foodie and love exploring the different cuisines Melbourne has to offer, so restaurant recommendations are always welcome.

I’m always happy to chat about quantum computing, research ideas, interesting things to build, or where to find good food. If you’d like to say hi or collaborate, there’s a good chance you’ll find me on the second floor of Melbourne Connect.

Yawei Qi is a PhD candidate in Psychology at Southwest University, China, and is currently undertaking a 12-month visiting research program at the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying metacognitive sensitivity in internet addiction, particularly short-video addiction, as well as how people process and respond to AI-generated advice in risky decision-making. Outside of her research, she enjoys spending time with animals and hiking.