Nimra Ahmed

Short Bio

Hello! I'm Nimra, but you can call me Nims. I’m currently pursuing a Fast Track PhD under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Elaine May Huang  at the People and Computing Lab. My academic journey includes a Bachelor's Degree in Informatics from the University of Zurich, where my thesis on "Designing Technology for People Affected by Forced Marriage" earned the UZH Impact Award in 2022. You might have seen my work featured in OEC magazine – if you missed it, you can read more about it here and here.

 In March 2023, I received funding for my project "Supporting People Affected by Forced Marriage through Digital Transformation" from the DIZH, and I joined the DSI PhD Excellence Program in fall 2023.

Since August 2024, I have been serving as the Junior Researchers Representative Deputy at ifi, alongside Daan, working to foster a supportive and inclusive community for junior researchers. As a representative, I focus on providing support, building community, and advocating for women and others who may face disadvantages in academia. I’m also an active voice in the faculty board and assembly. If you have any questions, need support, or just want to chat, feel free tocontact me or schedule a short coffee.

Research

My research sits at the intersection of feminist design, activism, and social justice, leveraging community-based approaches to create digital interventions that empower marginalized communities—particularly those affected by forced marriage, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence. Grounded in Feminist HCI and Design Justice, I center the voices of those historically excluded from technology design. I co-design for safety, self-help, and awareness using trauma-informed and participatory methods that prioritize collective care, accountability, and redistribution of design power. By working closely with affected individuals and communities, I ensure that technology becomes a tool for agency, resilience, and real-world impact. Beyond this, I explore the intersections of mental health, diversity, and culture, crafting interventions that respond to nuanced lived experiences. My research is a commitment to ethical, justice-driven design;charting new paths in computing to serve those often overlooked.

Mentoring & Supervision

Supporting and mentoring students is a key part of my academic journey. I enjoy guiding students not just in their research but also in navigating academia—whether that means encouraging them to submit their work, explore career paths, or build confidence in their ideas. I especially enjoy supervising projects that have real-world impact, where students are passionate about the work they are doing and driven by the change they want to create.

Selected Supervised Work:

• Sina Krumhard, Lukas Huber, Fabio Hausseneer, Masterproject: "SaferRave App: A Mobile App to Promote Safer and More Thoughtful Drug Consumption Practices", in collaboration with the DIZ.
• Alina Vanessa Brüllhardt, Independent Study: "Quantitative Analysis of  Social Media's Role in Recognizing Abuse and Shaping Help-Seeking Pathways for Women Affected by Gender-Based Violence", in collaboration with the Fachstelle Zwangsheirat, manuscript in submission.
• Natalia Obukhova, Master Thesis: "Because I can promise you: if you're studying people with lived experience of trauma, secondary trauma will happen: Researcher's safety in HCI research with traumatized communities", winner Semester Award HS24, manuscript in submission.
• Tim Schluchter, Master Thesis: "Exploring the Landscape of Mental Health Discourse on TikTok", published at CHI24 as Student Research Competition and MuC24.

If you're passionate about social justice, feminist HCI, awareness & activism, and interested in collaborating on a thesis, independent study, or master project, I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to learn more about my work and potential opportunities.

Availabilities;  [Masterproject] Designing Interactive Spaces for Awareness and Reflection 

Note; Currently, I do not have any other availabilities for supervision.