Biography
Dr. Syaheerah Lebai Lutfi (Sha-hee-ra)-شهيرة- is an Associate Professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and currently serves, since October 2024, at the Department of Medical Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), under secondment. Her work centres on Human-Computer Interaction, with a focus on affective computing, where she explores how technology can better understand human behaviour, emotion, culture, and personality. At the heart of her research is a simple but meaningful question: how can machines become more emotionally and culturally sensitive to people?
She received her Ph.D. with distinction (Cum Laude) and DEA from the Speech Technology and Automated Learning Group (GTHAU), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, under the supervision of Prof. Juan Manuel Montero and Prof. Fernando Fernández Martínez. Her doctoral research focused on the design and evaluation of emotional models in spoken dialogue systems. She also holds a certification in Health Informatics through the joint initiative between King Saud University (KSU) and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).
Dr. Syaheerah has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and continues to contribute to interdisciplinary research that bridges computing, healthcare, and human experience. She has been actively involved in international academic collaborations, serving as Erasmus+ coordinator since 2015 and supporting partnerships with institutions across Europe and beyond. Her engagements include research and academic exchanges with Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Heriot-Watt University, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Óbuda University, and collaborations with a Canadian data analytics firm on health-focused dashboards. She retains intellectual property rights for two information dashboards developed at USM.
At Universiti Sains Malaysia, she has taken on several academic leadership roles that reflect her commitment to service, people development, and institutional growth. She served as Deputy Director of the International Office (IO), contributing to international strategy and strengthening global partnerships under the USM internationalisation agenda (USMi). Her leadership approach is grounded in collaboration, trust, and inclusivity, guided by the belief that meaningful academic progress is built through strong human relationships and shared purpose. She has also contributed to student development through her roles in industrial training coordination, student activities, alumni engagement, and as an advisor to student societies.
Her academic journey at USM began in 2013, supported by scholarships from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Universiti Sains Malaysia. She holds a BSc in Computing from the University of Bolton(now known as University of Greater Manchester), United Kingdom, and a Master’s degree in Software Engineering from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Prior to academia, she spent several years in industry as an IT Executive at MaybanLife Berhad and as a Systems Analyst at the National Poison Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia. These experiences continue to inform her applied perspective in both teaching and research.
At her core, Dr. Syaheerah values human connection in all aspects of her work. Whether in the classroom, in research collaborations, or in leadership, she places emphasis on empathy, respect, and purposeful engagement. She believes that impactful technology and meaningful academic leadership begin with understanding people.
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