Lidia Flores

I am a 6th year Ph.D. candidate in Informatics at UC Irvine's School of Computer Science with a 3.9 GPA, co-advised by Madhu Reddy and Stephen Schueller. I am also a Google PhD Research Fellow in Health & Bioscience, mentored by Priya Gupta. My research involves mixed-methods approaches to understanding the role of AI transparency on user health engagement with large language models and how these interactions ultimately shape patient decision-making. This extends to evaluating the implementation of AI tools in clinical settings and the ethical considerations for using AI in medical research. My findings have been published in top journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Surgery).

Before my PhD, I was a research associate at the Emergency Medicine Department at UCI Health School of Medicine, where I gained experience collecting, analyzing, and visualizing big data to improve the timeliness of health data.

As a researcher, I am a quick learner with a keen eye for detail and strong technical skills. I have been awarded scholarships from Google, UCI's Startup Fund Award, Graduate Recruitment Fellowship, UCI LEAD, and the UC Irvine Staff Assembly Scholarship.