Nkem Naeche
Papers
2
Total Citations
10
H-Index
2
About
Nkem Naeche is a rising researcher at the intersection of digital mental health, human-robot interaction, and health equity. Her work focuses on developing and evaluating socially assistive robots as in situ interventions for emotion regulation, particularly among marginalized youth populations at risk of self-harm. In her most-cited paper (7 citations, 2023), Naeche led mixed-methods pilot studies investigating the feasibility and acceptability of a socially assistive robot among minority youth experiencing self-harmful thoughts—a critical contribution given the limited evidence for real-time digital interventions in this vulnerable group. Her subsequent protocol (3 citations, 2024) extends this work to LGBTQ+ youth with self-harm ideation, outlining a randomized controlled trial to enhance emotion regulation using Purrble, a co-designed robotic companion. By centering the voices of youth who are often excluded from technology design, Naeche’s research advances culturally responsive, just-in-time mental health support. Her work has been recognized for its innovative approach to bridging engineering, clinical psychology, and social justice, positioning her as a leading voice in the ethical deployment of socially assistive robots for adolescent mental health.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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