Meet The Supervisors WSU Research Magazine – Work in Progress (WIP)
Behind every great research node is a team of exceptional academics who ask harder questions than most. Our supervisory team brings decades of combined expertise in marketing, information systems, human-computer interaction, and behavioural science. SUPER VISORS Meet The
Lorem ipsum Dr. Aila KhanSUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS
Aila Khan Dr.
Lorem ipsum Dr. Michael LwinSUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS
Dr. Michael Lwin is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Business, Western Sydney University, where he has built one of the most practically engaged marketing programs in the country Originally from Myanmar, he holds a PhD in Marketing from Curtin University and brings over two decades of teaching and research experience across Australia, Vietnam, France, Singapore, and Hong Kong. His research sits at the intersection of marketing communications, consumer behaviour, and human-robot interaction, with published work in A-ranked journals including the Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, and Internet Research. With an H-Index of 14 and over 898 citations, Dr. Lwin is one of the most productive researchers in the node and a dedicated mentor to the next generation of HDR scholars. He is also, by his own admission, a man of serious standards when it comes to ice cream. since joining in 2018. Michael Lwin Dr.
Lorem ipsum Dr. Omar MubinSUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS
Omar Mubin Dr.
Dr. Sabreena AminSUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus. Nulla gravida orci a odio. Nullam varius, turpis et commodo pharetra, est eros bibendum elit, nec luctus magna felis sollicitudin mauris. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus. Nulla gravida orci a odio. Nullam varius, turpis et commodo pharetra, est eros bibendum elit, nec luctus magna felis sollicitudin mauris. Dr. Munir Hossain
Dr. David ArenessSUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus. Nulla gravida orci a odio. Nullam varius, turpis et commodo pharetra, est eros bibendum elit, nec luctus magna felis sollicitudin mauris. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus. Nulla gravida orci a odio. Nullam varius, turpis et commodo pharetra, est eros bibendum elit, nec luctus magna felis sollicitudin mauris. Dr. Abdul Babar
Meet The Students WSU Research Magazine – Work in Progress (WIP)
STUDENTS Meet The Our HDR students are the heartbeat of the SRI Research Node. They come from across the globe, bring wildly different perspectives, and share one thing in common: a passion for figuring out how humans and robots can coexist, collaborate, and occasionally surprise each other.
Mikee Federizo Ellie Eunhye Baek Examining the effectiveness of robot-based advertising agents (AdBots) in out-of-home (OOH) advertising. Mikee is originally from the Philippines and joined the SRI Research Node in 2025, bringing with her a sharp commercial instinct built from years working in marketing and advertising. Her research grew naturally from that background, asking a question that most marketers have not thought to ask yet: what happens when the brand ambassador is a robot? Raj grew up in Bangalore, India, and joined WSU in 2024. He was drawn to his research after noticing a fascinating shift in how people interact with technology, moving away from clicking and tapping toward speaking and conversing. He wanted to understand not just whether voice AI persuades, but why certain voices work and others do not, and what that means for the brands and products behind them. When he is not deep in research, Raj is experimenting in the kitchen, cooking everything from South Indian curries to European classics. He is also building a portable off-grid AI Cyberdeck using a Raspberry Pi, and training for an Everest Base Camp trek. We are not sure which of those is the mostambitious. Outside the lab, Mikee is not one for sitting still. She is a skydiver, a scuba diver, and a founder running her own businesses simultaneously with her PhD. Whether she is free-falling at altitude or building a client strategy from scratch, she brings the same energy to everything she does: full commitment, no half measures. Out-of-home advertising has always been about stopping people in their tracks, and Mikee is investigating whether AdBots, robot-based advertising agents deployed in physical public spaces, can do exactly that more effectively than traditional formats. It is a research question with real implications for the future of brand engagement, consumer behaviour, and the advertising industry at large. Rajesh Nandakumar Investigating the impact of AI-enabled voice assistants, with a focus on how voice appeal and vocal characteristics influence consumer attitudes and behavioural intentions.
Investigating the impact of robotic mimicry in the retail sector, specifically whether social robots that mirror human behaviours can influence customer purchase intentions and Hassan is originally from Pakistan and has been part of the WSU research community since 2022. His work sits at the intersection of AI, human-robot interaction, and retail behaviour, driven by a core belief that automation should not just be efficient but genuinely meaningful for the people it serves. A natural problem-solver, Hassan is drawn to research that translates directly into solutions for everyday challenges. His impressive portfolio of research funding includes the Lilly Pharmaceuticals research grant, Activate ECR, Global Challenge Leads, Activate Seeds, NAPS, and the InterLedger Foundation, with an ARC Grant pending. When he steps away from the lab, you will likely find him out in nature, tinkering with gadgets, or planning his next road trip. Abeer has been at WSU since 2016 and is one of the longest-standing members of the SRI Research Node. Originally from Bangladesh, she developed a passion for robotics early in her academic career and specialised in human-robot interaction during her postgraduate studies. Her first research project on persuasive robotics set the direction for everything that followed. Today, her work explores a genuinely novel question: can a robot's personality type influence whether people open their hearts, and their wallets, for a good cause? When she is not researching, Abeer loves travelling to new destinations, cooking up a storm, curating the perfect playlist for long drives, and losing herself in a good book. A five-time Dean's Excellence List recipient, a licensed real estate agent, a keynote speaker at national falls prevention conferences, and a sessional lecturer in marketing at WSU, James is one of the most practically accomplished esearchers in the node. Outside of all of that, he is a motorcycle mechanic who will tell you that diagnosing an engine fault and designing a research methodology require exactly the same kind of systematic thinking. James is a born-and-bred Sydneysider who has been part of the WSU community since 2019, progressing through his Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Research, and Master of Research before commencing his PhD in 2026. His research is anything but detached from the real world. As the Managing Director of Hornsby Comfy Hips, an assistive technology company focused on falls prevention in aged care, James has spent years working directly with elderly Australians in clinical settings, and that experience shapes every question he asks in the lab. Md Hassan Khan Conducting a comparative study of social robot technology adoption and use among healthcare clinicians and older adults in the UAE and Australia. Md Hassan Khan Examining the role of robotic personality types and their effectiveness in driving charitable donations. Abeer Alam
Examining the effectiveness of robotic mindfulness interventions to reduce burnout among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) healthcare workers. Developing adaptive human-AI interaction models using reinforcement learning and behavioural feedback loops. Sana joined WSU in 2021 and came to her PhD through a career path that reads like deliberate preparation for exactly the research she is now doing. Originally from Pakistan, she brings over a decade of experience across research, program coordination, academic teaching, and community development, with roles spanning the Health Education and Training Institute, Women of Colour Australia, and WSU itself, where she taught Marketing Analytics and co-designed the Customer Insights unit from scratch. Anshika is originally from India and joined the SRI Research Node in 2025. Her journey into AI research started with a hands-on capstone project during her Master's degree, where she built AIBridged, an AI-powered news summariser that adapted its summaries based on user preferences. That experience sparked a deeper question: what if AI systems could truly learn from the people they work with, rather than simply responding to commands? That question became her PhD. Outside research, Anshika is a passionate singer who believes that music and machine learning have more in common than people think. Both, she says, are about finding patterns in noise. Her research is deeply personal and deeply practical. Having worked directly with culturally and linguistically diverse communities throughout her career, Sana understands firsthand the pressures facing CALD healthcare workers and the systemic gaps in how their wellbeing is supported. Her PhD asks whether social robots can bridge that gap, delivering mindfulness interventions in ways that feel culturally sensitive, accessible, and genuinely effective. Fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi, she brings a rare linguistic and cultural range to her work. Outside the lab, she loves discovering new cafes, travelling whenever she can, and spending time with family and friends. Isha Kharub Sana Yousaf Anshika Rawat
Investigating whether embodied AI outperforms non-embodied AI in medication guidance, with a focus on patient trust and information retention. Exploring the development and deployment of large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI systems. Ruhi joined WSU in 2026 and brings a unique dual background, having grown up across India and South Africa. She came to her research through a deep interest in healthcare communication, asking whether the physical presence of a robot makes a meaningful difference in how patients receive and process medical information. It is a question with real-world stakes for patients who face language and cultural barriers or who find medical settings intimidating. Outside research, Ruhi loves reading, spending time at the beach, and travelling whenever the opportunity arises. Salik joined WSU in August 2025 and came to academia through an unconventional route. After years working as a full-stack web developer, he completed a Master's degree in AI and found himself at a crossroads: keep building, or start asking deeper questions about what AI systems are really capable of. He chose the questions. His research focuses on LLMs and agentic AI, the kind of systems that do not just respond but plan, reason, and act. When he is not in research mode, Salik knows the back streets of the city better than most GPS systems, a skill he has developed over years of navigating the city on his own terms. Ruhi Mohammed Zhao Zou Salik Saleem Sara Aldawsari
Publications & Conference Papers WSU Research Magazine – Work in Progress (WIP)
Publications & Conference Papers Journal Articles Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O. (2026, under review). Exploring a New Measure for Willingness to Accept Social Robot Recommendations. European Journal of Marketing. Sadler, J., Khan, A., Lwin, M., Ansari, S., Mubin, O. (2026, under review). The Role of Anthropomorphic Design in Social Robots for Aged Care: A Case Study of Pepper. MDPI Informatics. Mohammad, M., Kanakri, A., Sadler, J., Khan, H., Khan, A., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Alnajjar, F. (2026, under review). Humanoid Social Robots in Paediatric Settings. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. Sadler, J., Khan, A., Lwin, M. (2025). Exploratory Research With a Health Consumer Group on Social Robot Use Among Older Adults. JMIR Human Factors, 12(1). Zou, Z., Khan, A., Lwin, M., Alnajjar, F., Mubin, O. (2025). Investigating the impacts of auditory and visual feedback in advanced driver assistance systems. Frontiers in Computer Science, 6 . Zou, Z., Alnajjar, F., Lwin, M., Ali, L., Al Jassmi, O., Mubin, O., Swavaf, M. (2025). A preliminary simulator study on exploring responses of drivers to driving system reminders. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 4009. Alam, A., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O. (2024). Impact of Robot Size and Number on Human-Robot Persuasion. Information, 15(12), 782. Sadler, J., Khan, A., Lwin, M., Mubin, O. (2024). Social Robots for Meaningful Seated Activities: Acceptance and Use by Older Adults. Healthcare, 12(13), 1334. Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O., Shahid, S. (2022). The Effectiveness of Robot-Enacted Messages to Reduce the Consumption of High-Sugar Energy Drinks. Informatics. Mubin, O., Cai, B., Al Mahmud, A., Kharub, I., Lwin, M. (2021). A preliminary evaluation of mobile phone apps to curb alcohol consumption. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 135. Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O. (2021). Perceived service quality in HRI: applying the SERVBOT framework. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 8:746674.
Conference Papers Khan, M.H., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Khan, A., Teah, M., Khan, M.T. (2025). How should social robots mimic human behaviour in a low involvement purchase behaviour? Academy of Marketing Association Conference. Chicago, USA. Khan, M.H., Mubin, O., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Khan, M.T. (2025). Perceived Behavioural Control and Trust in High Mimicry Robot Interaction. 7th International Conference on Activity and Behavior Computing. Abu Dhabi, UAE. Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Khan, A. (2025). Developing the Willingness to Accept Social Robot Recommendations Scale. European Marketing Academy Conference. Madrid, Spain. Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Khan, A. (2025). Drivers of Social Robotic Recommendation Acceptance: Restaurants vs Cafes. European Marketing Academy Conference. Madrid, Spain. Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O. (2024). What Drives GenZ to Accept Robot's Recommendations? ANZMAC Conference. Hobart, Australia. (Highly Commended Paper Award) Sadler, J., Khan, A., Lwin, M., Mubin, O. (2024). Will Older Adults Accept Social Robots? ANZMAC Conference. Hobart, Australia. Sadler, J., Khan, A., Lwin, M., Mubin, O. (2024). What's in a Face? Exploring the Aesthetic Qualities of Social Robots Among Older Adults. IDBRC Conference. Sydney, Australia. Alam, A., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Khan, A. (2024). Does personality congruency drive donation intentions towards a social robot? Academy of Marketing Conference. Cardiff, Wales. Khan, M.H., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Khan, A. (2024). Exploring robotic mimicry in a retail context. Academy of Marketing Conference. Cardiff, Wales. Yousaf, S., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O. (2024). Conceptualising the Effectiveness of NHR Claims. ANZMAC Conference. Hobart, Australia. Alam, A., Mubin, O., Lwin, M., Khan, A. (2023). Effect of Number of Robots on Perceived Persuasion and Competence. 15th International Conference on Social Robotics. Doha, Qatar . Lwin, M., Khan, M.H., Mubin, O., Khan, A., Teah, M. (2023). How does Robotic Mimicry Influence Consumer's Purchase Intention? ANZMAC Conference. Otago, New Zealand. Kharub, I., Lwin, M., Khan, A., Mubin, O. (2022). Conceptualising SERVBOT: A Service Quality Model for Humanoid Social Robots. Academy of Marketing Science. Monterey, USA. Zou, Z., Mubin, O., Alnajjar, F., Al Mahmud, A., Khan, A., Lwin, M. (2022). Research on the Auditory Characteristics of Humanoid Robots to Assist the Older Population with Cognitive Impairments. ICECTA 2022.
Research Grants Khan, A., Lwin, M., Mubin, O., Kharub, I., Zou, Z., Khan, H. (2023). Acceptance of Social Robots. Westpac Banking Corporation, $20,000. Khan, A., Mubin, O., Lwin, M., Sadler, J.R. (2024). Recreational Activities with Social Robots: A Case of Older Adults Priority Research Initiative. Khan, A., Mubin, O., Lwin, M., Sadler, J.R. (2023). Employee Perceptions Relating to Social Robots. Westpac Banking Corporation. Lwin, M., Khan, A., Kharub, I., Raza, S.M.A. (2022). Persuasion Acceptance Model: Evaluating the effectiveness of a social robot in collecting donations. School of Business Small Project Grants, $7,172.64. Lwin, M., Khan, A., Kharub, I. (2020). Measuring Service Quality: Exploring the Performance of a Social Robot. School of Business Small Project Grants, $5,081.76. Hassan Khan additional grants: Lilly Pharmaceuticals Research Grant, Activate ECR, Global Challenge Leads, Activate Seeds, NAPS, InterLedger Foundation, ARC Grant (pending).