Hi, I’m Chris! I currently lead research at TikTok in the United States Data Security (USDS) division, supporting product strategy and user research while also providing oversight and protection of U.S. user data. I thrive in navigating the ambiguity of 0-1 product spaces, where I help define new opportunities and drive impactful solutions. Based in LA, you can usually find me in the ocean when I’m not working.
Photo Credit: Dave Weldon 2019
At TikTok, I help shape innovative experiences that empower creators and users, inspiring creativity and bringing joy while ensuring users remain safe and in control of their experiences. My work focuses on understanding user behaviors and attitudes to design products that protect user data and align with TikTok's mission to foster creativity and joy.
Before TikTok, I was a Senior UX Researcher at Meta, where I conducted research in the Remote Presence division of Messenger & Instagram, helping teams create products that make people feel more connected even when apart.
Prior to Meta, I also spent time as a Research Scientist at Microsoft Research, focusing on human-computer interaction in spatial computing technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) where I led research that explored limits of how immersive technologies can transform user experiences and interactions in both virtual and physical spaces.
I also served as a Research Scientist (a.k.a Postdoctoral Scholar) at Caltech, where I researched the plasticity of human perceptual systems, particularly in visually impaired individuals. My work at Caltech focused on developing non-invasive assistive technologies that harness the brain's adaptability to enable the blind to “see” using their other senses. This research is a foundational precursor to technological developments like Neuralink and other related Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology.
I hold a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and an M.A. in Experimental Psychology, where I used various quantitative methods and qualitative methods to explore how the brain constructs our sense of reality.