Greetings and salutations. I’m Andrew Maxim, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences at Mayo Clinic, where I am a member of the Enhancing Technology & Communication in Healthcare (ETCH) Lab under the direction of Dr. Janice Krieger. My research explores the intersection of technology and human communication, with a particular focus on optimizing virtual human interventions to improve patient outcomes through verbal and nonverbal communication.
Prior to joining Mayo Clinic, I earned my Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from the University of Florida, where I conducted research in the Virtual Experiences Research Group (VERG) under the supervision of Dr. Benjamin Lok. My work investigated how characteristics of virtual humans – including timbre, voice naturalness, and perceived realism – influence engagement and health-related behavioral intentions. I am particularly interested in understanding how subtle communication cues can make digital health interventions more effective, accessible, and engaging.
Before pursuing my doctoral studies, I earned a Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Excelsior College. My interdisciplinary background in engineering, computing, and communication continues to shape my research as I work to advance the design of intelligent, patient-centered technologies that improve healthcare communication.
Collaborations
I often make the joke that without collaborators, computer scientists would spend all their time making video games (or tools to help make video games). While this is meant as a joke, collaborations present a multitude of opportunities for computer scientists to tackle real world, meaningful challenges we might otherwise overlook or not even be aware of.
Hobbies
Life is more than just research and academia. These are a few of the hobbies and recreational activities that I enjoy when not reading, writing, or researching.
- Electric Skateboarding (building and riding)
- Gaming (board games, RPG games, video games, all of it)
- Kickball (Previously a member of Slim Kickins with Stonewall Sports)
- Beer (I like a good stout or hops forward ale)