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Saleh Kalantari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design at Cornell University, where he leads the Design Augmented Intelligence Lab (DAIL). His research focuses on developing digital tools to understand the impacts of virtual built environments on human behavior. By drawing from advancements in behavioral sciences, neuroscience, and computational modeling, Dr. Kalantari promotes a human-centered approach that is grounded in empirical testing to evaluate how design choices affect psychological stress and behavior across diverse populations. His team integrates research findings with design tools to help practitioners apply evidence-based predictive models to human responses in pre-construction design evaluations. His work includes analyzing human-building interactions in large facilities such as hospitals. Dr. Kalantari's research has produced innovative solutions like a novel VR-testing platform for evaluating wayfinding design and a cognitive agent simulation tool for optimizing wayfinding. He has been recognized for his translational research in design practice with awards such as the Touchstone Gold Medal Award from the Center for Health Design and a nomination for the National Design Award from Cooper Hewitt. His research has received significant support from organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Before joining Cornell, he taught at the University of Houston and Washington State University and worked as a design researcher at Parkin Architects Ltd. Dr. Kalantari holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from Texas A&M University.
Department of Architecture