Anna Fang
Human-Computer Interaction Institute
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Research Areas
Hi, I'm Anna! I am a computational social science researcher, primarily interested in online communities. Before starting my PhD, I received a B.S. in Computer Science from Cornell University in 2019 and worked as a full-time software engineer. Outside of research, I enjoy art (drawing, painting, ceramics, jewelry-making), reading, fostering animals, and being in nature! You may also see my friendly greyhound Milo with me around the CMU campus too!
Research Interests
My research is in computational social science at the intersection of online social networks and well-being. I study how the mechanisms and structures of online communities can enable both personal well-being (e.g. mental health) and community well-being (e.g. productive discourse). I am predominantly interested in proactive approaches — those that are self-sustaining, self-correcting, and promote positive behaviors — rather than effortful handling of harmful behaviors after they have occurred. My work primarily uses methods within network science, artificial intelligence, and social science.
Related Projects
ProjectWhat Makes Digital Support Effective?
Online mental health support communities have grown in recent years for providing accessible mental and emotional health support through volunteer counsel...
ProjectShaping Online Dialogue
Community rules play a key part in enabling or constraining the behaviors of members in online communities. However, little is unknown regarding whether a...
ProjectMeasuring the stigmatizing effects of a highly publicized event on online mental health discourse
Media coverage has historically played an influential and often stigmatizing role in the public’s understanding of mental illness through harmful language...
ProjectMatching for Peer Support
Online mental health communities (OMHCs) have emerged in recent years as an effective and accessible way to obtain peer support, filling crucial gaps of t...