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The MADMUC lab opened in May 2000, funded by $895,687 "new opportunities" grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the provincial government of Saskatchewan and by the University of Saskatchewan. The research in the lab currently focuses on:

1) middleware infrastructures for decentralized software systems: mobile, ubiquitous, cloud-based or fog-based, that have better performance, consistency and security;

2) social software infrastructures that enable and encourage sustainable participation and collaboration between users;

3) decentralized trust-based approaches for storing and accessing user data, preserving privacy and user ownership of data;

4) personalized persuasive technologies for user behaviour change to improve: healthy living, physical activity, productive work, social support and more engaging learning experiences.

Since its inception, 152 students and researchers have worked in our lab. Of these, 120 graduate students (17 PhD and 103 MSc) have graduated, including two Vanier Scholars, 5 Post Doctoral Fellows and 22 undergraduate summer students. MADMUC is vibrant place with students who actively publish, win awards and prestigious scholarships. It also has many tropical plants to make the long winters greener.

Ralph Deters, PhD
Professor

Lab Director

Julita Vassileva, PhD
Professor, Graduate Chair

Lab Director

Our current research topics:

  • Ethical issues of AI, Personalization and Persuasive Technology
  • Dark Patterns in User Interface Design: identification, user warnings and education
  • AI-driven persuasive interventions to increase learner engagement.
  • Transparent and Explainable Recommendation Systems
  • Secure and Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning for short and long-term interests in news recommendation
  • Data Trusts, preserving privacy and user ownership of data.
  • Digital Twins; User models as Digital Twins
  • Distributed Ledgers, Blockchain, NFTs and their applications and usability
  • Personalized persuasive technologies applications in health and behaviour change.

Our Sponsors