Making Technology Work for Humans
Experience
Experienced UX Research leader skilled at transforming user insights into intuitive hardware and software experiences. Brings deep empathy, intellectual curiosity, and optimistic problem-solving to every project. Adept at conducting research that bridges physical and digital touchpoints. Proven track record of evaluating physical product usability and translating complex user needs into actionable design recommendations that drive product success and enhance accessibility.
Core competencies include:
Strategic Planning | Hardware/Software Integration | Research Operations | Stakeholder Management | Interviews | Journey Mapping | Focus Groups | Usability Testing | Diary Studies | Ethnography | Surveys | Personas |Accessibility
Technical: User Testing | User Zoom | Qualtrics | Miro | Mural | Jira | GSuite | Microsoft Suite | Asana | dscout | Figma
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Providence Health, Portland, OR (remote) October 2023 - April 2025
Principal UX Researcher
Lead end-to-end research strategy and implementation for 0>1 products aimed at reducing operational costs and streamlining workflows
● Acted as key point of contact with internal stakeholders to collect essential data for product development, while minimizing the impact on their workload.
● Planned and implemented research for EMR adjacent tool to better understand user experiences with emerging technologies, identifying ways to improve adoption and highlight underutilized capabilities.
● Created detailed journey maps of end-to-end experiences, providing reference documentation for engineers and helping prioritize the most impactful usability improvements.
● Conducted interviews with internal teams to evaluate the viability for inclusion in the Caregiver Workbench product. As a result of the interviews, and due to problem-solution mismatch and/or insufficient market size, recommended canceling non-viable projects.
Hinge Health, Portland, OR (remote) April 2021 - April 2023
Senior Manager - UX Research
Built the first UX research team at Hinge Health, leading a team of six researchers working across 25 product pods.
● Led hardware-software integration research for wearable sensors and TENS units (Enso device), ensuring both physical form factor and digital interfaces worked seamlessly together for users of diverse abilities.
● Evaluated physical design and instructional materials for the Enso wearable TENS unit, identifying improvements to electrode placement and application instructions that increased user success rates.
● Created and implemented a DIY research democratization program to empower designers and PMs to take on less complex, less risky UX Research work. Over 20 studies were run between October 2022 and April 2023.
● Uncovered key user barriers to adoption through field research, discovering fears around using medical hardware at home, leading to design changes that increased first-time setup success by 515%.
Dexcom, Portland, OR (remote) April 2018 - March 2021
Senior UX Researcher/UX Research Manager
Led strategic research initiatives for glucose monitoring hardware/software ecosystem, driving portfolio decisions and improving accessibility.
● Pioneered an accessibility research program for hardware products, resulting in improved usability for vision-impaired users through increased contrast on physical devices and better tactile indicators.
● Conducted usability testing for Continuous Glucose Monitor devices, evaluating physical form factors, insertion mechanisms, and the relationship between hardware and companion apps.
● Researched Type 2 and gestational diabetes patients' experiences with wearable devices, leading to form factor improvements and changes in application design that better matched physical and cognitive needs.
● Led hardware usability testing to understand the challenges of visually impaired users when pairing their Dexcom applicator to the app, resulting in improvements to both physical and digital touchpoints.
● Collaborated with industrial designers and engineers to test prototype iterations, ensuring ergonomic considerations were addressed throughout the development process.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Janna Kimel Consulting
Research Lead
● Conducted extensive ergonomic evaluations of Intel's ReconJet Pro Augmented Reality Glasses, assessing comfort, weight distribution, control accessibility, and visual field impact across different head shapes and use contexts.
● Implemented iterative usability testing protocols for wearable technology that balanced physical form factor requirements with digital interface needs.
● Evaluated keyboard interfaces and ergonomics in collaboration with Microsoft, identifying design improvements for users with varying physical capabilities.
Cambia/Regence BCBS
Sr. UX Researcher + CX Manager
Intel
Design Researcher
● Improved Stephen Hawking's PC experience through contextual research, focusing on the physical interface needs of users with limited mobility.
EDUCATION
Master of Industrial Design (MID)
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
PATENTS
Mobile medication device # 7542379
Cellular device sensor network connection apparatus # 20090005016
Analyte Data Processing, Reporting and Visualization #12239469
Decision support and treatment administration systems # 11990238