Biography
Ningchang Xiong received her Ph.D. from the City University of Hong Kong in 2026 through a joint training programme with the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC). She joined the Hetao Institute of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences (HIMIS) as an Assistant Professor in 2026. Her research focuses on human-computer interaction, particularly interactive systems for humans and companion animals, behavioural and affective interaction with biomimetic pet robots, immersive presence in virtual and mixed reality, and tangible interfaces for emotional needs.
Her first-authored work has appeared in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics and ACM CHI. She has served as an Area Chair for ACM CHI Late-Breaking Work and ACM DIS Provocations and Work-in-Progress, and as a Program Committee Member for ICHEC 2026 (formerly Chinese CHI). She also reviews for leading international HCI conferences and journals.
During her doctoral studies, she worked as a Technical Officer in the Smart City Division of HKPC and contributed to industry-oriented R&D projects funded by the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission, with combined funding exceeding HKD 10 million. Her entrepreneurial projects received support from the CityU HKTech300 Seed Fund and the Hong Kong Science Park Ideation and Incubation programmes. She is committed to using interactive technologies to study and support emotional bonds between humans and animals, while fostering interdisciplinary connections among HCI, mathematics, and artificial intelligence.
Research Interests
• Human-animal interaction and interactive systems for companion animals
• Biomimetic pet robots, embodied interaction, and affective interaction
• Virtual and mixed reality, telepresence, and immersive experiences
• Tangible, multimodal, and wearable interfaces for emotional needs
• Responsible AI and cultural bias in multimodal generative models
Education
• 2022–2026 Ph.D., School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong (joint training with HKPC)
• 2020–2021 M.Sc. in Multimedia Information Technology, City University of Hong Kong
• 2016–2020 B.Eng. in Software Engineering, Fuzhou University
Work Experience
• 2026–present Assistant Professor, Hetao Institute of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences (HIMIS)
• 2021–2024 Technical Officer, Smart City Division, Hong Kong Productivity Council
Academic Service
• Area Chair, ACM CHI 2025 Late-Breaking Work
• Area Chair, ACM DIS 2024 and 2025 Provocations and Work-in-Progress
• Program Committee Member, ICHEC 2026 (formerly Chinese CHI)
• Reviewer for ACM CHI, ACM DIS, ACM TEI, IEEE VR, ICHEC/Chinese CHI, and other international venues
Honours and Project Support
• CityU HKTech300 Seed Fund
• Hong Kong Science Park Ideation Programmes
• First Prize, 9th Hong Kong University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (2023)
Selected Publications
• N. Xiong, Q. Liu, and K. Zhu, “PetPresence: Investigating the Integration of Real-World Pet Activities in Virtual Reality,” IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 2024.
• N. Xiong and K. Zhu, “PetReunion: A Preliminary Interview Study to Understand Users’ Opinions on Using Mixed Reality to Support Pet Bereavement,” ACM CHI Extended Abstracts, 2025.
• N. Xiong, Y. Li, M. C. Chin, and K. Zhu, “Bondi: Designing Tangible and Multimodal Interfaces for Continuing Bonds in Pet Bereavement,” Proceedings of ACM CHI, 2026.