PhD-ing in vis at UBC's InfoVis Lab

Hi, I'm Ryan.

I build patient-centric visualization tools that help people communicate their health data to the providers who need to understand it.

Basically, I study how visualization leverages our cognitive biases to translate messy, subjective experience into something two people can talk about.

See the research Download CV Get in touch

🎓 Expecting to graduate August 2027 — and already thinking about what's next. Open to postdoc conversations.

Ryan Smith portrait
my one good headshot.

About me

the short version

I hold a Bachelor's in Psychology from Marist College and a Master's in Social and Cognitive Psychology from NYU, where I focused on decision making.

After my studies I worked as a research assistant in two psychology labs, the DUSC Lab and the Visual Thinking Lab, before applying to PhD programs.

I was initially interested in neuroaesthetics (the neuroscience of art), but pivoted to data visualization after encountering an art installation that used visualization to explain a complex topic. I started wondering if people actually study this kind of work (they do) and began working in the visualization field.

I'm now pursuing my PhD in Computer Science at UBC, working with Tamara Munzner in the InfoVis Lab.

Ryan Smith hiking in the Swiss Alps
You can tell I'm a grad student in the Pacific Northwest by the obligatory hiking photo.

Research interests

what I actually work on

  • How do you visualize the way people naturally think about their lives? Medical histories don't live in neat tables, they live in stories, feelings, and vague subjectivity.
  • How does representing data about ourselves help us learn and reflect? Seeing your own patterns back to you changes how you understand them.
  • How do we use visualizations of personal data to communicate with other people? A good chart isn't just a picture, it's the spark of a conversation.
Ryan in scrubs, on the phone
The scrubs aren't mine. I no longer have long hair. And have since replaced that phone. So most of this photo is a lie.

My timeline

me, at a glance

Current projects

things I'm building

HealthTale — visualizing your health story

When you describe your health history to a new doctor, it probably doesn't flow neatly. You jump to what feels most important, organize around concerns rather than dates, use language like "a few years back" or "right around when I started that job." Health histories are organized around meaning, not chronology.

HealthTale meets patients in that natural way of speaking. You describe your health history however feels right, and the system transforms it into a structured, timeline visualization you can bring into a clinical encounter. The goal is to help patients feel heard and help clinicians understand not just the facts, but how the patient frames their own experience.

HealthTale — visualizations assembled from a patient narrative

SymptomTale — tracking what's hard to track

Most symptom tracking tools ask you to rate your pain from 1 to 10. But what if you don't know what to call what you're feeling? What if it shifts, or it's not one symptom but a cluster of things that seem connected but you're not sure how?

SymptomTale lets you describe your symptoms in plain language, spoken or written, whenever it makes sense to you. The system builds a longitudinal visualization that's comfortable with uncertainty: timing can be approximate, severity can be qualitative, and the picture can evolve as your understanding does. The goal is something you'd actually want to use, even when what you're tracking is hard to name.

SymptomTale — design in progress

Publications

for the bean counters

Primary (first author)

  1. No primary publications listed yet.

Secondary

  1. No secondary publications listed yet.

Awards & honors

the stuff my mom brags about

  • 2025

    UBC Faculty of Science Excellence in Service Award — an annual award given to two students in UBC's Faculty of Science for service and positive impact toward the Faculty's goals.

  • 2025

    MITACS Accelerate Grant IT44143 — two years, $90k, with Thrive Health.

  • 2024

    MITACS Accelerate Grant IT38408 — one year, $45k, with Thrive Health.

Ryan receiving the UBC Faculty of Science Excellence in Service Award
Yes, my mom was very proud of me! She always is!!

Teaching

how I show up in the classroom

Being a student is stressful, and memorization has limited long-term value. What matters more is whether students leave curious and motivated to keep learning, so I support teaching around flexible engagement, small-group activities, and a pass / fail / exceed evaluation structure that lowers pressure while rewarding depth.

See the full teaching philosophy statement →

Ryan teaching
As you can see, I accept any free photography the department offers.

Service & leadership

showing up for the grad community

Service and leadership work I've taken on during grad school, most of it aimed at improving mental-health access for grad students and breaking down silos between departments. Roles have ranged from President of the CS Graduate Student Association to TA Union Steward to GSS representative for the department.

See the full list in my CV →

Ryan with the GSA team
One team, one dream.

Hobbies

what I do when I'm not PhD-ing

My hobbies range from basketball, to soccer, to hiking. I also read a lot, you can see what I'm working through and what I've thought of everything on my StoryGraph. And I play a lot of Magic: The Gathering. My pet deck, the one I keep coming back to, is my grixis ninja deck.

Ryan playing basketball
About to give the reviewer 2 treatment.

Get in touch

say hi