Kim Binsted

Kim Binsted is a Full Professor in the Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.1 She is an accomplished researcher and educator with a diverse background in physics, artificial intelligence, and space exploration.

Education and Early Career

Binsted received her B.Sc. in Physics from McGill University in 1991.12 She then went on to earn her Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh in 1996.12 During her time at both universities, she was actively involved in improv comedy, being a founding member of Montreal's On The Spot troupe and performing with The Improverts at the Edinburgh Fringe.1

Professional Experience

After completing her Ph.D., Binsted worked as an Associate Researcher at Sony's Computer Science Laboratories in Tokyo from 1997 to 1999, focusing on human-computer interfaces.1 She has also collaborated with NASA, serving as a Summer Faculty Fellow at Ames Research Center in 2003 and 2004, where she worked on sub-vocal speech recognition technology.1

Research Interests

Binsted's research explores several key areas:

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Human-computer interfaces
3. Long-duration human space exploration

She has been involved in various space-related projects, including:

• Chief Scientist on the FMARS 2007 Long Duration Mission, a four-month Mars exploration analogue in the Canadian High Arctic1
• Team member at the UH-NASA Astrobiology Institute from 2002 to 20141
• Principal investigator on the HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) project14

Additional Information

Binsted has shown interest in becoming an astronaut, having applied to the Canadian astronaut program in 2017.1 She is known for her work in astrobiology, AI, and her interest in adventurous food and wordplay.3 Her LinkedIn username is indeed kimbinsted, as mentioned in the query.2