Dr. Katherine (Kate) Tsui leads the University Research Partnership (URP) Program at Toyota Research Institute (TRI), where she is shaping the next generation of academic collaboration through the University 3.0 initiative (2026–2031). In this role, Dr. Tsui partners closely with TRI’s technical divisions to align research priorities with ambitious university engagements. She identifies and cultivates collaborations with faculty whose research brings fresh ideas, varied academic backgrounds, and unique perspectives to TRI’s scientific mission.

Dr. Tsui brings deep technical expertise and a long-standing commitment to human-centered research, with over 19 years of experience in human-robot interaction (HRI), assistive robotics, and inclusive design. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2014 and completed a postdoctoral appointment at Yale University (2014–2016). At TRI, she founded and previously led the HRI research group (2016-2024), and now dedicates her full focus to advancing TRI’s research mission through strategic, high-impact academic partnerships.