Renwen (Alice) Zhang

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore (NUS), with a joint appointment at The N.1 Institute for Health. I direct the Social Well-being, Empathy, and Emerging Technologies (SWEET) Lab.

My research examines the role of digital technologies in mediating and affecting interpersonal communication and well-being. I am keenly interested in understanding how people use digital technologies (eg, social media, AI chatbots, games) to seek social support and cope with stress/loneliness, and the impact of such technologies on their mental and social well-being. I have conducted mixed methods research to examine the processes and effects of technology-mediated interpersonal communication, with a particular emphasis on social support, self-disclosure, and mental health. My recent work focuses on the role of AI in mediating and augmenting interpersonal communication and the processes and outcomes of human-machine communication.

My work is largely interdisciplinary and draws on theories and methodologies from communication, psychology, and human-computer interaction. I am dedicated to building bridges across disciplines to better understand human behavior and solve wicked problems, such as healthcare and social injustice. I have worked closely with clinical scientists, computer scientists, and designers on various projects. By integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, I seek to uncover insights that can inform the design of socio-technical systems for more empowering and beneficial human-computer interactions. My work was published in flagship journals across disciplines, such as Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, CHI, CSCW, npj Digital Medicine, and Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Prior to joining NUS, I received my PhD in Media, Technology, and Society from Northwestern University, an MPhil in Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Journalism from Shanghai International Studies University.

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News

[2024-11] Co-organize the 2024 CSCW Workshop on “What is Safety?: Building Bridges Across Approaches to Digital Risks and Harms”.

[2024-11] Excited to receive the Google South Asia & Southeast Asia Research Award.

[2024-10] Our research on cross-cultural AI privacy is published in Social Media + Society.

[2024-9] Our study about the emotional implications of human-AI relationships is published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.

[2024-06] Co-organize the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (SICSS)-Singapore.

[2024-05] Serve on the Organizing Committee as the Publication Chair of CHI 2025.

[2024-04] Our review paper about the impact of AI chatbots on mental health is featured by the Associated Press, Nature, and 90 other mainstream media. 

[2023-09] Serve as the Associate Chair for CHI 2024 Health Subcommittee.