Bullard Postdoctoral Fellow
Gavindya Jayawardena is a Bullard Postdoctoral Fellow collaborating with Dr. Jacek Gwizdka at the Information eXperience (IX) Lab. Her research leverages neuro-physiological evidence to deepen our understanding of human-information interaction. As part of her fellowship, Gavindya plans to explore the use of real-time cognitive load detection algorithms in applied contexts. By monitoring cognitive load in real-time, adaptive systems could dynamically personalize user experiences, adjusting task difficulty, providing additional resources, or introducing challenges tailored to users' cognitive states.
Gavindya earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Old Dominion University in 2024, where she built a strong foundation in eye-tracking, pupillometry, and neuro-physiological signal analysis. Her dissertation introduced an advanced eye movement analysis pipeline to extract and analyze positional gaze and pupillometry measures in real-time. She also developed algorithms to generate advanced gaze metrics that capture cognitive load and ambient/focal viewing behaviors, providing deeper insights into cognition and attention allocation.
Ph.D., Computer Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
B.Sc., Computer Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Eye-tracking
Human-Computer Interaction
Human-Information Interaction
Data Science