Ryan Zhao

Email:: rz25@iu.edu

Department:: Operations and Decision Technologies (ODT)
Campus:: IU, IU Bloomington
Major:: Information Systems

Bio

Ryan Zhao is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Operations and Decision Technologies at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University Bloomington. He is also a Research Associate at Kelley’s Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (DSAIL).

Ryan’s current research focuses on the development of human-centered applications powered by large language models (LLMs), with a particular emphasis on supporting mental health treatment. His work draws on LLMs, reinforcement learning, and deep learning to create trustworthy and impactful AI systems.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Ryan conducted research in computational social science, explainable AI, and human–AI interaction. His work has been published in leading venues across human-computer interaction and information systems, including ACM CHI, ACM IUI, and ECIS.

Ryan holds dual M.Sc. degrees in Data Science and Management Information Systems from the University of British Columbia, and a B.Sc. in Management Information Systems from Renmin University of China.

Research Interests

I am currently interested in developing human-centered applications driven by large language models (LLMs) to support mental health treatment. My research integrates reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) based on design science methodologies to align LLM behavior with user needs and ensure trustworthy and effective AI interventions.