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Yuwei Xiao

Computer Science Ph.D. Student at UCLA

Hi, I am Yuwei! I’m a second-year Ph.D. student in Computer Science at UCLA, advised by Prof. Eunice Jun in the Computation and Discovery Lab; I also work closely with Prof. Antti Oulasvirta at Aalto University.

My research explores how interactive systems can help people understand and make sense of complex data and models, empowering them to combine, manage, and extend their knowledge with powerful computational tools. I design and build interactive visualization interfaces that make abstract or opaque concepts more tangible, supporting better reasoning, communication, and decision-making.

Broadly, my interests lie at the intersection of human–computer interaction, data visualization, human–AI collaboration, and sense-making. I’m particularly passionate about visual thinking—how visualization can spark insight, creativity, and shared understanding between people and intelligent systems.

Previously, I was fortunated to work with Prof. Haojian Jin in the at UCSD. I earned my bachelor degree from Southern University of Science and Technology.

⭐️ I’m actively seeking research internship opportunities for Summer 2026! If you’d like to collaborate or just chat about research, feel free to reach out :)

Research

  1. PriorWeaver: Prior Elicitation via Iterative Dataset Cons...
    Preprint (Under Review)

    PriorWeaver: Prior Elicitation via Iterative Dataset Construction

    Yuwei Xiao, Shuai Ma, Antti Oulasvirta, and Eunice Jun

    We reframe prior elicitation in Bayesian analysis as a dataset authoring task, using interactive visualizations to help people externalize and structure their knowledge in intuitive, tangible ways.

  2. Demonstration of ReadFlect: Scaffolding Intent-driven, Mu...
    UIST 2025

    Demonstration of ReadFlect: Scaffolding Intent-driven, Multi-session, and Reflective Reading of Academic Papers

    Yuwei Xiao, Ollie Pai, Brian Roysar, Michael Shi, and Eunice Jun

    We design a intelligent active reading tool to support researchers keep track of their reading goals and progress during multi-session paper reading.

  3. On the Feasibility of Reasoning about the Internal States...
    Preprint

    On the Feasibility of Reasoning about the Internal States of Blackbox IoT Devices Using Side-Channel Information

    Wei Sun*, Yuwei Xiao*, Haojian Jin, and Dinesh Bharadia

    We explore the potential of using side-channel information and annotation interface to help users build up better mental models of black box IoT devices.

News

Sep 26, 2024 Started my PhD journey at UCLA CS!
May 11, 2024 Served as a Student Volunteer at CHI 2024!
Oct 29, 2023 Attended UIST 2023 in San Francisco!