RANA JAHANI
UX Researcher | Game User Researcher | Data Analyst
About Me
I’m a UX Researcher with a strong foundation in Game Design and Software Development. I collaborate with multidisciplinary teams daily to help inform game development and improve player engagement. I specialize in understanding user psychology and behaviors by analyzing actions during testing, conducting interviews, and designing surveys. I love uncovering patterns, trends, and anomalies in user data to refine research plans and guide product development.
​I'm also passionate about designing products with real-world impact and have created simulations and games for healthcare and education that improve lives and solve meaningful problems.
Skillset and Toolset
Professional Experience
January 2024 - Present
Ghostlab, Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
​User Researcher
Responsibilities​:
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Conducting qualitative and quantitative research on game development, simulation, and XR projects to gather and analyze data on user behavior and preferences
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Analyzing user data using gaze entropy to detect cognitive load in a complex virtual reality training to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies in user behaviors
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Organizing and facilitating user research studies, including recruiting participants, holding playtesting sessions, conducting interviews and surveys to gather user data on serious games and XR applications
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Collaborating with the user research team, designers, and engineers to support the research plans and iterate on the product development
September 2024 - December 2024
Northeastern University
Boston, MA
Adjunct Professor
Responsibilities​:
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Designed and structured course syllabi to foster conceptual understanding and visual learning in game and XR design courses
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Delivered continuous assessment and constructive feedback to enhance academic performance and engagement
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Facilitated discussions on user experience, narrative design, and immersive storytelling techniques to deepen students' design skills
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Guided students in exploring design principles, prototyping, and playtesting within game and XR environments
May 2022 - April 2023
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Graduate Research Assistant
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Responsibilities​:
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Led a systematic review aimed at finding the effects of educational games on orthopedic surgery training
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Led development of an educational game for orthopedic medical trainees
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Led development of a serious game to monitor medical residents’ mental health and burnout
September 2022 - April 2023
Northeastern University,
Boston, MA
Graduate Teaching Assistant
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Courses:
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Generative Game Design | January 2023 - April 2023
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Level Design & Game Architecture | January 2023 - April 2023
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Spatial and Temporal Design | Sep 2022 - December 2022
Responsibilities:
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Assisted with managing the class, assignment preparation, facilitation of class discussions, and monitoring group work
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Assisted in grading class assignments and providing feedback
Education
June 2020 - April 2023
Northeastern University,
Boston, MA
MS in Game Science and Design
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Key Courses: Game Design and Analysis, Spatial & Temporal Design, Exploratory Concept Design, Generative Game Design, Player Experience (Game User Research), Mixed Research Methods for Games, Psychology of Play, Business Models Game Industry
April & August 2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Cambridge, MA
Entrepreneurial Training in New England Innovation Corps
Key Courses: Spark & Fusion
Experience:
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Conducted customer discovery for development of an educational orthopedic game as Entrepreneur Lead
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Led the team to conduct interviews, design business model, and analyzed the qualitative data
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Communicated and coordinated with team members and interviewees
September 2011 -
June 2016
Qazvin Azad University
Qazvin, Iran
Bachelor of Software Engineering
Key Courses: Software Engineering, Computer Graphics, Multimedia Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Algorithms Design, Data Structure and Algorithms, Object Oriented Programming
Volunteering
March 2024
Game Developers Conference,
San Francisco, CA
Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024
​Conference Associate at GDC 2024 ​
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Provided logistical support to GDC organizers, ensuring conference sessions and workshops ran smoothly
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Assisted speakers with setup, audio/visual needs, and session materials to facilitate successful presentations
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Directed attendees to conference locations, answered their questions, and provided event information to enhance their overall experience in a venue with nearly 30,000 attendees
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Monitored session rooms for crowd management, technical issues, and adherence to schedules
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Coordinated with event staff to resolve attendee or speaker concerns promptly and professionally
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Supported networking events and receptions, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment
August 2023
Northeastern University,
Boston, MA
IEEE Conference on Games 2023
​Volunteer at IEEE Conference on Games 2023​
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Assisted speakers with setup, audio/visual needs, and session materials to facilitate successful presentations
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Coordinated with event staff to resolve attendee or speaker concerns promptly and professionally
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Guided the attendees to conference locations, answered their questions, and provided event information to enhance their overall experience
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Monitored session rooms for crowd management, technical issues, and adherence to schedules
Jan 2021- April 2023
Northeastern University,
Boston, MA
Game Science and Design Student Committee
Active member of Game Science and Design (GSND) Student Committee for two years
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Organized GSND social events such as game nights and game jams
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Collected feedback from the students and communicating their concerns to the program coordinator and the faculty.
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Provided suggestions to the program coordinator on matters such as course improvements, faculty hiring, and facilitation of students’ teamwork
Publications
2025
CHI 2025
From Locked Rooms to Open Minds: Escape Room Best Practices to Enhance Reflection in Extended Reality Learning Environments
2024
Cureus, Journal of Medical Science
Gamification and Serious Games in Orthopedic Education: A Systematic Review
Awards
April 2023
College of Arts, Media and Desig, Northeastern University,
Boston, MA
2023 Neurath Outstanding Social Relevance Award
September 2020
CAMD, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Graduate Student Scholarship