Zhuoran (Elara) Liu

Hi! I’m Elara Liu, a second-year MSCS student at Northwestern University advised by Karan Ahuja and Haoqi Zhang. I earned an honors B.S. from UC Irvine with a double major in Computer Science and Informatics. I work at the intersection of Human–AI Interaction, agentic LLM systems and tool use, and wearable sensing for health.

Some reminders help; others get in the way. I study how intelligent systems can support long-term habits without hijacking attention. My focus is boundary-aware, habit-forming JITAI agents: systems that learn when not to interrupt, fade assistance as people gain skill, and make re-entry after lapses feel natural.

Methodologically, I work end-to-end—designing interfaces; building tool-using agents; doing wearable and mobile sensing; context-aware computation—and running mixed-method evaluations. My toolkit spans Python and TypeScript/React, with an accessibility-first mindset (WCAG/ARIA) and open, reproducible code and analyses.

I’m applying to PhD programs for Fall 2026 in labs that blend HCI, Human–AI Interaction, wearables, and digital/mobile health. If your group works at this intersection, I’d love to connect.