I grew up in Kazakhstan in a small town near a river, surrounded by nature and a large family. Looking back, I think that environment shaped me more than I realized. It taught me curiosity, resilience, and the importance of close human connections.

At 18, I left home for the first time and moved to London, England to study English. It was my first experience living abroad and my first real culture shock. I lived with a host family, discovered new traditions, met people from different backgrounds, and suddenly realized how much larger the world felt than I had imagined.

What surprised me most was that I did not only fall in love with language. I fell in love with understanding people, cultures, and perspectives. Ever since then, I have continued moving across countries and disciplines, following curiosity wherever it took me.

Since then, my path has taken me across the United States, England, Scotland, Singapore, and now Canada. Along the way, I studied Computer Science, Public Policy, and User Experience while continuously returning to one question:

Not only how technology works, but why we build it in the first place.

During my Computer Science degree, I learned how to build systems and applications. But over time I became increasingly curious about people. I wanted to understand behavior, decision-making processes, emotions, and the human experiences behind technology. That curiosity eventually brought me to User Research and Design.

More recently, during my graduate studies at HEC Montréal and research work at Tech3Lab, I explored how people interact with complex systems and data-rich environments through mixed methods research, eye tracking, physiological measures, and behavioral analysis.

Living across countries and disciplines shaped how I approach both research and design. Those experiences taught me empathy, adaptability, and the importance of understanding people before building solutions.

Outside research and design, I am also an animal lover and a proud parent of two fluffy cats who remind me every day that curiosity and compassion matter.

Currently based in Montréal, I continue exploring how research, design, and technology can create experiences that genuinely improve people’s lives. I’m also actively learning French because curiosity and learning have always guided my journey.