Sanna Kuoppamäki

I am an Assistant Professor in Technology in Health Care, with a PhD in sociology and experience in interdisciplinary research in the design and development of user-centric digital technologies for health and well-being.

My research is focused on investigating the use and design of interactive technologies for healthy ageing with application areas in social robotics, wearable technologies and mobile health. In my research, I develop new approaches and methodologies to design, investigate and evaluate emerging technologies for health and well-being by involving users, such as older adults or children, throughout the design process. I am interested to explore the individual and socially shared practices embedded in the use of new technologies, and the mutual shaping of technologies in everyday life to contribute to more inclusive and transformative technologies. My research is inspired by social practice approach, media and communication studies and participatory design methodologies.

My research has been published in journals such as Telematics and Informatics, Technology in Society, Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, BMC Health Services Research and International Journal of Social Robotics. More information about my work can be found in:

• Google Scholar, ResearchGate
• LinkedIn, Twitter

Current projects:

• Advanced Adaptive Intelligent Systems (co-PI)
• Personalised companion robot for open domain dialogue in long-term elderly care (co-supervisor)
• Designing AI technology for interdependence with sighted guiding companions (co-supervisor)
• Designing a conversational application for mindfulness practice with older adults (co-supervisor)

Past projects:

• BCONNECT@HOME – Being Connected at Home: Making use of digital devices in later life (2018-2020)
• Welfare technology in Swedish municipal care (2018-2020)
• Digital Home: Life transitions and digital domestic practices in later life (PI, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Post-doctoral project, 2019-2020)

Research networks:

• Digital Futures
• Socio-Gerontechnology Network
• EIT Health - Promoting innovation in health
• Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care