PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Rosalind Picard

Also known as Rosalind W. Picard

Rosalind Picard is an AI researcher who studies how computers can recognize emotion and use wearable signals in health research. She joined the MIT Media Lab faculty in 1991 after work at AT&T Bell Laboratories and published Affective Computing in 1997. Her research helped launch wearable computing and later applied machine learning to monitor major depression with wearable and smartphone data. ACM named her a Fellow in 2021, and IEEE awarded her the 2026 Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology. As of October 2026, she is Empatica's Chief Scientist and leads affective computing research at the MIT Media Lab.

Works
505
Citations
53,492
h-index
106

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1991

    From Bell Labs to MIT

    She earns a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Georgia Tech and master's and doctorate degrees at MIT. In 1991, she joins MIT's Media Lab faculty after work at AT&T Bell Laboratories designing chips for signal processing and developing methods for image compression; her early MIT research develops models that use machine learning for image retrieval and helps create the Photobook system.

  2. 1997

    Affective Computing

    In 1997, she publishes Affective Computing and presents research on emotion's role in human decision-making and how computers might recognize affect.

  3. 1998

    Wearable computing

    In 1998, she serves as a founding member of IEEE's Technical Committee on Wearable Information Systems and helps launch wearable computing with colleagues. Her team develops continuous wrist sensing of electrodermal activity and pulse rate.

  4. 2016

    Machine learning for depression

    In 2016, she and Szymon Fedor begin collaborating with Paola Pedrelli on algorithms that use machine learning to diagnose and monitor symptoms of major depressive disorder.

  5. 2021

    An ACM fellowship

    In 2021, ACM names her a Fellow for accomplishments in computing and information technology.

  6. 2022

    Tracking depression with wearables

    In 2022, her team's major-depression study uses Empatica E4 wristbands and smartphone data; machine learning combines biometric signals and phone activity to track symptoms.

  7. 2026

    An IEEE healthcare medal

    In 2026, IEEE awards her the Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology for contributions to wearable affective computing for health and wellbeing.

  8. As of October 2026

    Chief scientist at Empatica

    As of October 2026, she is Empatica's Chief Scientist and leads affective computing research at the MIT Media Lab.

Sources and credits

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  1. Overview ‹ Rosalind W. Picard — MIT Media Lab media.mit.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Picard lecture explores computers' affective potential | MIT News news.mit.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Deploying machine learning to improve mental health | MIT News news.mit.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Picard, Choudhoury, and Schiele Named 2021 ACM Fellows — MIT Media Lab media.mit.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. MIT Jameel Clinic’s Muriel Medard and Rosalind Picard recognized in the 2026 IEEE Awards – MIT Jameel Clinic jclinic.mit.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Rosalind Picard | Speaker | TED ted.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. About Empatica | We create groundbreaking technology that is friendly, caring and more human empatica.com. Checked 15 October 2026.