Professor Jian Zhao has received the 2025 Early Career Research Award from CS-Can | Info-Can, the national organization that represents and advocates for computer science research, education and academic leadership across Canada.
Presented annually since 2009, the Early Career Research Award recognizes outstanding contributions to computer science research and is conferred upon exceptional faculty members at Canadian computer science departments, schools, and faculties who are within 10 years of completing their PhD.
“I am delighted that Jian has received an Early Career Research Award from CS-Can | Info-Can,” said Raouf Boutaba, University Professor and Director of the Cheriton School of Computer Science. “Jian’s contributions reflect exceptional scholarly achievement and a deep commitment to education, mentorship, service and societal impact. He is a leader in his field, and his forward-looking research agenda positions him well to shape the future of human-centred computing for years to come.”
Jian Zhao is an Associate Professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science. He is an international leader in information visualization, human–computer interaction, data science, and human-centred AI. He develops novel interactive systems and visual representations that strengthen the interplay between humans, computers and data.
He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed conference and journal papers in top-tier venues. His work has received five Best Paper awards, nine Best Paper Honorable Mention awards, and three Best Poster/Demo awards. In 2025, he received an Ontario Early Researcher Award and was named a 2025–28 Cheriton Faculty Fellow, a prestigious recognition of leading faculty.
Since joining the Cheriton School of Computer Science in fall 2019, Professor Zhao has secured more than $2 million in research funding from government, university and industry sources. He has established collaborative projects with major industry partners including Adobe, Meta, Cisco, BlackBerry and Unity, as well as with local start-ups Trax Codes, Mightex and eSentire. Across his academic and industry career, he has trained five postdoctoral researchers, and more than 30 PhD and master’s students. He holds more than 20 patents, and his research has been featured in media outlets including The Record, CBC News, and CityNews. As of May 2026, his publications have been cited more than 4,400 times, with an h-index of 39, according to Google Scholar.
Professor Zhao’s research is at the forefront of a rapidly evolving technological field shaped by ubiquitous computing and increasingly embedded AI. He and his students focus on designing, developing and evaluating interactive computing systems that augment human intelligence. Through the WVisdom Lab he directs, Professor Zhao leads a cohesive and influential interdisciplinary program, spanning interactive data visualization, AI-assisted programming, creative authoring tools, immersive media, mobile and AR/VR communication, and human-AI collaboration.
His research advances a long-term vision of symbiotic human–technology partnerships across four critical dimensions: enhancing human cognition, creativity, communication and collaboration. This work is both prolific and innovative, grounded in cognitive resilience, verifiable AI mediation, and continuity of user context across devices, modalities and agents.
Professor Zhao is also a dedicated educator and supervisor, committed to fostering student development and excellence. His research team consists of 14 current members. To date, he has advised five postdoctoral researchers, and graduated three PhDs and 12 master’s students. He has successfully guided students toward strong research outcomes, with nearly all publishing refereed conference or journal papers in premier venues as lead authors. His former postdoctoral researchers have secured tenure-track faculty positions at institutions including Arizona State University, Ontario Tech University, and the Southern University of Science and Technology. Many of his graduate students have continued at leading academic institutions including MIT, and have joined big tech companies among them Google and Snowflake. Supported by Professor Zhao, their thesis research has also received multiple prestigious scholarships, including the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships, Ontario Graduate Scholarships, Autism Scholars Award, and Vector Scholarships.
Professor Zhao consistently receives excellent course evaluations for his engaging, well-structured teaching. He fosters a deep understanding of course concepts through hands-on, project-based learning. Outside the classroom, he is passionate about broadening access to InfoVis and HCI, participating in panels hosted by organizations including the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, GI 2025, IEEE VIS 2021, the Licensing Executive Society, and the Youth Tech Lab.
Professor Zhao’s service to the Cheriton School of Computer Science, Waterloo, and the broader research community is extensive and influential. He has served on the organizing and program committees of top-ranked conferences as well as the editorial boards of premier journals. He regularly organizes workshops and delivers talks, and is an active reviewer, mentor and community builder. Within the Cheriton School of Computer Science, he has served on various committees, and contributed significantly to an external review of its graduate program. At the university level, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics, representing the Faculty of Mathematics.
Professor Zhao is the 10th faculty member at the Cheriton School of Computer Science to receive the Early Career Research Award from CS-Can | Info-Can. Previous recipients are Professors Ian Goldberg, Florian Kerschbaum, Kate Larson, Lap Chi Lau, Ondřej Lhoták, Bin Ma, Mei Nagappan, Éric Schost and Daniel Vogel.
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