The CHCCS 2026 Early Career Researcher Award (Human-Computer Interaction) is presented to Dr. Alex Mariakakis for his significant contributions to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), particularly at the intersection of Health and HCI. Dr. Mariakakis has an outstanding publication record across numerous top-tier HCI venues, including receiving nine paper awards – a very notable achievement! Several of Dr. Mariakakis’s research outputs have also brought contributions to industry, with five patents awarded. At the same time, Dr. Mariakakis’s research is of valuable societal benefit, as recognized through work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This has been achieved through leading large collaborative teams across multiple universities, including a significant cohort of graduate student authors.
Alex Mariakakis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He runs the Computational Health and Interaction (CHAI) lab, which leverages ubiquitous and emergent technologies to address problems related to people’s health and wellbeing. He is also an Affiliate Scientist at the KITE Research Institute and an Education Faculty Affiliate within T-CAIREM, which has enabled his passion for digital health research to influence the clinical landscape in the Greater Toronto Area. His work has garnered multiple Best Paper Awards at top computer science venues like ACM CHI and ACM COMPASS, as well as significant attention from media outlets ranging from the BBC to Cosmo Magazine.
