Short bio

I am an Associate Professor working in the Department of Computing at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil. I have been researching on Human-Computer Interaction since 1999 and now I lead the Flexible and Sustainable Interaction Lab (LIFeS). My main current research interests include: (1) computer support for mental health and well-being, (2) sustainability in computing and (3) computer science education.

Education:

  • - Ph. D. in Computer Science (2006-2010) - University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil, with six months in the Informatics Research Center at University of Reading, UK.
  • - Master in Computer Science (2003-2005) - Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil.
  • - Bachelor in Computer Engineering (1998-2002) - Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil.

Further information about my career:

Contact info:

  • - Email: vania.neris at ufscar.br
  • - Address: Department of Computing, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Rod. Washington Luís, km 235 - Jardim Guanabara, Mail box 676, ZIP Code: 13565-905 - São Carlos / SP, Brazil
  • - Phone: +55 16 33519493

Research projects

Ongoing projects

I have been working with amazing undergraduated and graduated researchers from Computer Science and Engineering, Health area as Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Gerontology, as well as Education. Following you can find a brief description of some of these ongoing collaborative projects:

Amive

A solution for the Internet which identifies Brazilian possible depressive profiles and provides an autonomous, specialized and personalized intervention in a social network system.

Emoweb

A computer infrastructure for collecting and processing emotions in interaction time and adapting the user interface considering the user's emotional state. Financed by FAPESP.

Lepi

A framework with a collaboration model, an architecture, an editor tool and a physical board that supports the construction of storytelling games by stigmatized end users.

Descobrindo o computar

Many teaching plans to be used with 4 and 5 years old children about basic computing concepts that include data storage, processing and transmission. Visit the project website (in Portuguese).

Publications

A complete list of my publications can be found in the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) official curricula platform. Following you can find my last publications references.

Full journal papers

(listing the last 10)

Neris, Vânia Paula de Almeida; FORTUNA, FREDERICO ; BONACIN, RODRIGO ; de Alencar, Tatiana Silva; NERIS, L. O.; BARANAUSKAS, M. CECÍLIA C. Addressing Brazilian diversity in personal computing systems with a tailoring-based approach. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing (Online), v. -, p. 1-23, 2020.

MOTTI, VIVIAN GENARO ; KALANTARI, NILOOFAR ; NERIS, VANIA. Understanding how social media imagery empowers caregivers: an analysis of microcephaly in Latin America. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, v. 1, p. 1, 2020.

BIANCHI, RENATA G. ; NERIS, V NIA P. A. ; ARA, ANDERSON L. . Tags vs. observers - a study on emotions tagged and emotions felt with Flickr pictures. MULTIMEDIA TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS, v. 1, p. 1-22, 2019.

BENTO, SIRLEI RICARTE ; OTTAVIANI, ANA CAROLINA ; BRIGOLA, ALLAN GUSTAVO; Neris, Vânia Paula de Almeida ; ORLANDI, FABIANA DE SOUZA ; PAVARINI, SOFIA CRISTINA IOST . Use of digital game therapy among elderly persons undergoing dialytic treatment: cognitive aspects and depressive symptoms. Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia, v. 21, p. 447-455, 2018

OLIVEIRA, ALLAN C.M. ; Botega, Leonardo C. ; SARAN, JORDAN F. ; SILVA, JORDANA N. ; MELO, JÉSSICA O.S.F. ; TAVARES, MARIA F.D. ; NERIS, VANIA P.A. . Crowdsourcing, data and information fusion and situation awareness for emergency Management of forest fires: The project DF100Fogo (FDWithoutFire). COMPUTERS ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN SYSTEMS, v. 1, p. 1-10, 2017.

GONÇALVES, VINÍCIUS P. ; GIANCRISTOFARO, GABRIEL T. ; FILHO, GERALDO P. R. ; JOHNSON, THIENNE ; CARVALHO, VALÉRIA ; PESSIN, GUSTAVO; NERIS, V NIA P. DE ALMEIDA ; UEYAMA, JÓ. Assessing users’ emotion at interaction time: a multimodal approach with multiple sensors. Soft Computing (Berlin. Print), v. 1, p. 1, 2016.

BOTEGA, Leonardo C. ; SOUZA, J. O. ; JORGE, F. R. ; CONEGLIAN, Caio S. ; CAMPOS, MÁRCIO R. ; Neris, Vânia Paula de Almeida; ARAUJO, R. B. Methodology for Data and Information Quality Assessment in the Context of Emergency Situational Awareness. Universal Access in the Information Society, v. 15, p. 1-14, 2016.

GONÇALVES, VINÍCIUS P. ; DE ALMEIDA NERIS, VANIA P. ; SERAPHINI, SIBELIUS ; DIAS, TERESA C. M. ; PESSIN, GUSTAVO ; JOHNSON, THIENNE ; UEYAMA, JÓ . Providing adaptive smartphone interfaces targeted at elderly people: an approach that takes into account diversity among the elderly. Universal Access in the Information Society (Print), v. 1, p. 1-21, 2015.

Rodrigues, K. H. ; Garcia, F. E. ; BOCANEGRA, L. ; Gonçalves, V. ; CARVALHO, V. ; Neris, Vânia Paula de Almeida. Personas-Driven Design for Mental Health Therapeutic Applications. SBC Journal on 3D Interactive Systems, v. 6, p. 18-34, 2015.

Neris, Vânia Paula de Almeida; Baranauskas, M. Cecília C. Designing tailorable software systems with the users participation. Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society (Impresso), v. ., p. ., 2012.

Full papers in refereed conference proceedings

(listing the last 10)

Garcia, F. E. ; BRANDAO, R. ; MENDES, G. C. P. ; NERIS, V.P.A . Able to Create, Able to (Self)Improve: How an Inclusive Game Framework Fostered Self-Improvement Through Creation and Play in Alcohol and Drugs Rehabilitation?. In: IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT), 2019, Paphos. Proceedings of the 17th IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Berlim: Springer-Verlag, 2019. p. 1-10.

SOUZA, P. M. ; Rodrigues, K. H. ; NERIS, V.P.A . SemTh - An Approach to the Design of Therapeutic Digital Games. In: Simpósio Brasileiro sobre Fatores Humanos em Sistemas Computacionais (IHC), 2019, Vitória. Proceedings of the 18th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems - IHC 2019, 2019.

GARCIA, W. ; NERIS, V.P.A . m-Motion: A mobile application for music recommendation that considers the desired emotion of the user. In: Simpósio Brasileiro sobre Fatores Humanos em Sistemas Computacionais (IHC), 2019, Vitória. Proceedings of the 18th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems - IHC 2019, 2019.

Garcia, F. E. ; NERIS, V.P.A . Strategies for Inclusive End-User Co-Creation of Inclusive Storytelling Games. In: IFIP International Conference on Entertainment Computation (ICEC), 2019, Arequipa. Proceedings of IFIP International Conference on Entertainment Computation (IFIP-ICEC) & Joint Conference on Serious Games (JCSG). Lectures Notes in Computer Science., 2019.

Alencar, T. S. ; Barbosa, M. ; MACHADO, L. ; Neris, L. O. ; NERIS, V.P.A. Considering the diversity of users in the development of a flexible bus stop. In: Simpósio Brasileiro sobre Fatores Humanos em Sistemas Computacionais (IHC2018), 2018, Belém do Para. Proc. 18th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2018.

Rodrigues, K. H. ; CONRADO, D. ; NERIS, V.P.A . Lessons Learned in Designing a Digital Therapeutic Game to Support the Treatment and Well-Being of Children with Cancer. In: Human-Computer Interaction International (HCI), 2018, Las Vegas. Proceedings of Human-Computer Interaction International (HCI2018), 2018.

SOUZA, P. M. ; Rodrigues, K. H. ; Garcia, F. E. ; NERIS, V.P.A . Towards a Semiotic-Based Approach to the Design of Therapeutic Digital Games. In: International Conference on Informatics and Semiotics in Organisations (ICISO), 2018, Reading. Proceedings of International Conference on Informatics and Semiotics in Organisations (ICISO2018), 2018.

GARCIA, W. ; NERIS, V.P. A. An algorithm for music recommendation based on the user's musical preferences and desired emotions. In: International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia (MUM), 2018, Cairo. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia. New York: ACM. v. 1. p. 205-2013.

DE QUEIROZ PROENÇA, MAILSON ; NERIS, V.P.A . UIFlex: a meta-design solution for the web. In: Simpósio Brasileiro sobre Fatores Humanos em Sistemas Computacionais (IHC), 2017, Joinville. Proceedings of the XVI Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York: ACM, 2017. v. 1.

Alencar, T. S. ; Rodrigues, K. H. ; Bianchi, R. G. ; Barbosa, M. ; NERIS, V.P.A . Emotional Response Evaluation of users in Ubiquitous Environments: an Observational Case Study. In: 13th Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology Conference (ACE), 2016, Osaka. 2016

Academic supervisions

Since 2010, I have been supervising undergraduated students in human-computer interaction academic projects, courseworks and scientific initiation projects. I also supervised Master and PhD. candidates. A non-complete list can be found following (Ongoing work. I hope to add all the names here soon).

PhD. candidates

Paula Souza (2019-)

Clênio Gonçalves Jr. (2018-)

Franco Garcia (2015-2019)

Kamila Rios (co-supervision, 2010-2014)

Master candidates

Bruno César (2020-)

Patrícia Guimarães (2019-)

Everton Martins (2019-2020)

Letícia Silva (2018-2020)

Isaque Souza (2017-2019)

Paula Souza (2017-2018)

Willian Assunção (2017-2018)

Benedito da Silva Neto (2016-2018)

Newton Galindo Jr. (2016-2018)

Renata Oliveira (2015-2018)

Renata Bianchi (2015-2016)

Maria Carolina Santos (2015-2016)

Maílson Queiroz (2014-2015)

Franco Garcia (2013-2014)

Tatiana Alencar (2012-2014)

Rogério Campanari (2011-2013)

Teaching

I have been teaching mainly in human-computer interaction disciplines in undergraduate courses, graduate stricto and lato sensu courses. I have been also teaching about research methodology. Furthermore, I had also taught disciplines about programming, digital logic and software project managment.

Graduation courses

Design e avaliação de sistemas interativos

Métodos de pesquisa em interação humano-computador

Metodologia de pesquisa

User experience para todos na web

Design e avaliação de interfaces de usuário para web

User experience

Undergraduation courses

Interação humano-computador

Metodologia científica

Orientação profissional em sistemas de informação

Estágio em sistemas de informação

Trabalho de conclusão de curso

Construção de algorítmos e programação

Introdução a computação

Laboratório de circuitos digitais

Metodologia científica e gerenciamento de projetos

Metodologias de desenvolvimento de sistemas

Projects with community

I like to research really close to those who know the context of use. Therefore, I am grateful to all the institutions and individuals we have been working together so far.

Partner institutions

Centro de Atendimento Psicossocial - CAPS AD/São Carlos-SP

Creche do campus da USP - São Carlos-SP

Hospital do Amor

Espaço Braille - São Carlos-SP

Hospital Espírita de Marília

Comunidade da Vila União em Campinas - SP