Hi, I’m Leon — a human-computer interaction researcher with a background in engineering and design.

In high school, I loved both physics and art but struggled to find ways to connect them. When I started college, my dream was to work in animation. I spent late nights learning Blender and founded WashU’s first animation club.

But along the way, I stumbled into something unexpected: I didn’t just want to animate digital worlds. I wanted to build ways to interact with them.

That curiosity led me into VR/AR, then to robotics, and eventually to human-computer interaction (HCI). I became fascinated by how the digital and physical could be woven together.

Today, I finally find myself in spaces where design and engineering meet. If you also have a desire to make interactions more intuitive, expressive, and embodied, let's connect!

Publication
Publication
Circuit2Yarn: From Planar Circuits to Electronic Yarns for Textile-Based Interactions.
Circuit2Yarn: From Planar Circuits to Electronic Yarns for Textile-Based Interactions.

Zhechen Zhao, Jingyi Liu, Tianhong Catherine Yu, Jiaqing Liu, Zeyu Yan, Huaishu Peng, Yiyue Luo, Zhihan Zhang, and Tingyu Cheng.

In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26).

[paper] [project page]

Zhechen Zhao, Jingyi Liu, Tianhong Catherine Yu, Jiaqing Liu, Zeyu Yan, Huaishu Peng, Yiyue Luo, Zhihan Zhang, and Tingyu Cheng.

In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26).

[paper] [project page]

Education
Education
University of Chicago
University of Chicago

Sept 2025 – Dec 2026

Pre-Doctoral MS in Computer Science

• Advisor: Pedro Lopes


Coursework: Inventing and Engineering Interactive Devices, Intro to HCI, Computer Systems, Mathematical Toolkit

Pre-Doctoral MS in Computer Science

• Advisor: Pedro Lopes


Coursework: Inventing and Engineering Interactive Devices, Intro to HCI, Computer Systems, Mathematical Toolkit

Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis

Aug 2021 – May 2025

BS in Applied Science

• Majors in Systems Science & Engineering and Design

• Minors in Human-Computer Interaction and Robotics


Coursework: Robotics Dynamics and Control, Multidisciplinary Prototyping and Design, Control Systems, Sensors and Actuators, Object-Oriented Programming, Digital Fabrication, Advanced Interaction Design, UX Research Methods, Optimization, Circuits, Probability and Statistics

BS in Applied Science

• Majors in Systems Science & Engineering and Design

• Minors in Human-Computer Interaction and Robotics


Coursework: Robotics Dynamics and Control, Multidisciplinary Prototyping and Design, Control Systems, Sensors and Actuators, Object-Oriented Programming, Digital Fabrication, Advanced Interaction Design, UX Research Methods, Optimization, Circuits, Probability and Statistics

Stanford University
Stanford University

Jun – Aug 2023

Summer Session

Coursework: Computer Graphics, Client-Side Internet Technologies, Computer Organization and Systems

Summer Session

Coursework: Computer Graphics, Client-Side Internet Technologies, Computer Organization and Systems

Awards
Awards

2026 Core77 Design Awards Student Runner Up Interaction Award

2026 Core77 Design Awards Student Runner Up Interaction Award

2026 Red Dot Award: Design Concept

2026 Red Dot Award: Design Concept

Last Update: June, 2026

© Leon Zhechen Zhao 2026