Welcome to Women in AI Research
New episodes released every three weeks on Wednesday.
Women in AI Research (WiAIR) is a podcast dedicated to celebrating the remarkable contributions of female AI researchers from around the globe. Our mission is to challenge the prevailing perception that AI research is predominantly male-driven.
In WiAIR, we interview successful female AI researchers coming from diverse cultural backgrounds, showcasing their inspirational cutting-edge research and insights into the future of AI. Through these conversations, we explore their personal journeys - how they overcome unique challenges, balance careers and family life, and make difficult decisions when necessary. We aim to understand how women in AI research perceive success and what it takes to achieve their goals.
Why Listen?
- •Gain Insights: Learn from leading women in AI and stay updated on the latest research and developments.
- •Be Inspired: Hear powerful stories of overcoming obstacles and breaking stereotypes.
- •Connect: Join the community of like-minded early career researchers and build your network.
Stay Connected
- •Social Media Links: Follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
- •Subscription Information: Subscribe to WiAIR on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and join our Discord.
Call to Action
- •Subscribe Now: Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Women in AI Research (WiAIR) today.
- •Share: Spread the word and share our podcast with your network.
Latest Episodes
Ep.5: Interpretable AI, with Dr. Faiza Khan Khattak
June 4, 2025
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Faiza Khan Khattak, , the CTO of an innovative AI startup, with a rich background in both academia and industry. We dive deep into her journey and expertise across: fairness, explainability, and social bias in AI; reasoning and interpretability in LLMs; operationalizing ML in healthcare, machine unlearning and adversarial attacks. This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about building ethical, transparent, and impactful AI systems.
Ep.4: Robots with Empathy, with Dr. Angelica Lim
May 14, 2025
Can robots have feelings? In this fascinating episode, we speak with Dr. Angelica Lim, Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University and leader of the SFU Rosie Lab. Dr. Lim discusses her pioneering work on developing artificial intelligence software that enables robots to interact with social intelligence and empathy. We explore the intersection of robotics, neuroscience, machine learning, and developmental psychology, and consider both the technical challenges and philosophical questions surrounding emotional AI. This conversation offers a glimpse into the future of human-robot interaction and the potential for machines to understand and respond to human emotions.
Ep.3: Responsible AI for Health, with Aparna Balagopalan
April 23, 2025
This episode features Aparna Balagopalan, a brilliant PhD student at MIT, discussing the intersection of AI and healthcare. Aparna shares her research on developing fair, interpretable, and robust models for healthcare applications. We explore the unique challenges of applying AI in medical contexts, including data privacy, regulatory considerations, and the critical importance of model transparency. The conversation covers both technical innovations and ethical frameworks necessary for responsible AI deployment in healthcare settings.
About Us
Jekaterina Novikova
Founder & Co-Host
Dr. Jekaterina Novikova is the AI researcher with over 10 years of experience in natural language processing and human-AI interaction. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Bath and has an extensive international experience working in the academia, industry and non-profits. She was recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Extraordinary Women Advancing AI In 2024, Top 25 Women in AI in Canada in 2022, received the "Industry Icon Award" by the University of Toronto in 2021, and included in the list of 30 Influential Women Advancing AI in Canada in 2018.
Malikeh Ehghaghi
Co-Host
Malikeh is a machine learning researcher at the Vector Institute, and an incoming PhD student at the University of Toronto, where she works under the supervision of Prof. Colin Raffel. Born and raised in Iran, she is a bilingual researcher fluent in Farsi and English who immigrated to Canada in 2019. She earned an MScAC degree in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and has over five years of industry research experience at companies such as Winterlight Labs, Cambridge Cognition, and Arcee AI.
Mary MacCarthy
Lead Producer & Marketing
Mary is the Head of Product Marketing at Arcee AI, a fast-growing startup that pioneered small language models (SLMs) and intelligent model routing. She pivoted into tech after a long career as an international news correspondent. A proud solo mom, Mary is a fierce advocate for women in tech and is known for bringing a critical eye to the ethics (or lack thereof) in the industry.
Anais Hristea
Lead Illustrator & Designer
Anais is a talented graphic designer and illustrator who creates all the visual assets for the Women in AI Research podcast. With a background in digital art and design, she brings a unique aesthetic to the podcast's brand identity, from logo design to branding, ensuring a strong and professional look.
Ali Akram
Technical Producer
Ali is an experienced AI engineer and technical producer who ensures the podcast's technical quality. He handles audio editing, production, and technical aspects of the podcast, bringing years of experience in audio engineering and AI development. Ali also develops and maintains the podcast's website.