Research

My research quantifies the human part of complex socio-technical systems to improve decision-making for:

1. Human-Machine Teams: For high-risk decisions, human decision-makers need to understand how and when to trust AI recommendations. Participatory research methods support efforts to design effective decision support, which are experimentally tested in the lab before moving toward field tests. Applications include AI in Transplant Healthcare and Biased AI in Hiring.
2. Infrastructure Transitions: Individuals and organizations struggle to decide which technologies or projects to implement, particularly in the context of rapid technological change (and high uncertainty). Quantitative and qualitative impact evaluations provide inputs to models and simulations. Applications include Rural Broadband, Renewable Energy, and Fully-Mobile Radiation Oncology.

Human-Machine Teams

• Funded Projects
  • 2024-2026. Mid-America Transplant Foundation, Mid-America Transplant Kidney Artificial Intelligence (MOMA-KI-AI), S&T: Dagli (PI), Canfield (Co-PI) + SLU: Lentine, Randall, Total Award: $280,000
  • 2022-2026. National Science Foundation, Collaborative Research: FW-HTF-R: Embedding Preferences in Adaptable Artificial Intelligence Decision Support for Transplant Healthcare to Reduce Kidney Discard, S&T: Canfield (PI), Dagli, Shank + SLU: Lentine, Schnitzler + UNOS, Total Award: $1,800,000
  • 2022-2023. Mid-America Transplant, Deep Learning Model to Improve Tissue Authorization for Mid-America Transplant Services, S&T: Dagli (PI), Canfield (Co-PI), Total Award: $46,763
  • 2022-2024. Mid-America Transplant Foundation, AI-Enabled Digital Support to Increase Placement of Hard-to-Place Deceased Donor Kidneys, S&T: Dagli (PI), Canfield (Co-PI) + SLU: Lentine, Schnitzler, Randall, Total Award: $211,453
  • 2020-2021. National Science Foundation, FW-HTF-P: Teaming Transplant Professionals and Artificial Intelligence Tools to Reduce Kidney Discard, S&T: Canfield (PI), Dagli, Shank + SLU: Lentine, Schnitzler, Total Award: $150,000
• Key Publications
  • Subramanian, H. V. , Canfield, C., & Shank, D. B. (2024). Designing Explainable AI to Improve Human-AI Team Performance: A Medical Stakeholder-Driven Scoping Review. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artmed.2024.102780
  • Elder, H., Canfield, C., Shank, D. B., Rieger, T., & Hines, C. (2024). Knowing When to Pass: The Effect of AI Reliability in Risky Decision Contexts. Human Factors, 66(2), 348-362.   https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208221100691
  • Subramanian, H. V., Canfield, C., Shank, D. B., & Kinnison, M. (2023). Combining Uncertainty Information with AI Recommendations Supports Calibration with Domain Knowledge. Journal of Risk Research, 26(10), 1137-1152. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2023.2259406
  • Kenny, R., Fischhoff, B., Davis, A., & Canfield, C. (2023). Improving Social Bot Detection Through Aid and Training. Human Factors. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208231210145
  • Threlkeld, R., Ashiku, L., Canfield, C., Shank, D. B., Schnitzler, M., Lentine, K., Axelrod, D., Battineni, A. C. R., Randall, H., & Dagli, C. (2021). Reducing Kidney Discard with Artificial Intelligence Decision Support: The Need for a Transdisciplinary Systems Approach. Current Transplantation Reports, 8, 263-271.
• Media
  • Article: St. Louis Public Radio – Missouri S&T professor is looking to AI to help with kidney transplants
  • Press Release: SLU – Together with Missouri S&T, Saint Louis University Researchers Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Kidney Transplant Process
  • Press Release: Missouri S&T – Missouri S&T researchers win funding to improve kidney transplant process
  • Press Release: Missouri S&T – Researchers use artificial intelligence to improve efficiency in kidney transplant network

Infrastructure Transitions

• Funded Projects
  • 2023-2025. New Venture Fund, Public Interest Technology University Network, Cultivating Homegrown Talent: Rural Infrastructure Challenge Summit, S&T: Canfield (PI), Schuman, Allada, Lo, Pickerill, Annis + MU Extension: Richardson, Total Award: $90,000, 25% contribution ($22,500)
  • 2022-2024. U.S. Army, Improving Mission Assurance Assessment and Engineered Resilience Systems, S&T: Long (PI), Corns, Canfield (Co-PI) + UT Arlington: Ferreira, Total Award: $496,760
  • 2021-2022. US Ignite, OVERCOME21: A Systems Approach to Scaling Rural Co-op Efforts to Expand the Fiber Edge, S&T: Canfield (PI) + WPI: Wyglinski, Bhada + United Co-op: Farnan + Maximize NWMO: Gollnick, Total Award: $325,000
  • 2020-2023. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Substitutes vs. Complements: Effect of Renewable Procurement Options on Installation Decisions, S&T: Canfield (PI), Fikru + NREL: Sumner, Total Award: $150,000
  • 2020. The Solar Foundation, SolSmart Program Evaluation, S&T: Canfield (PI) + UT Austin: Rai + U Miami: Gao + FSU: Tang, Total Award: $145,000
  • 2019-2021. Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), Optimizing Work Zone Zipper Merge Operations Using Driving Simulations, MU: Sun (PI), Edara, Anowar + S&T: Canfield (Co-PI), Total Award: $90,000
  • 2019-2021. U.S. Department of Education, GAANN: Interdisciplinary Fellowship Program in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering for Rebuilding Infrastructure, S&T: Qin (PI), Canfield (Co-PI), Long (PI), Dagli, El-adaway, Sun, Total Award: $600,804
• Key Publications
  • Agarwal, A., Canfield, C., & Fikru, M. G. (2024). Role of Greener Default Options on Consumer Preferences for Renewable Energy Procurement. Renewable Energy, 221 (119802). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2023.119802
  • Fikru M. G. & Canfield, C. (2024). Choosing Both/And: Encouraging Green Energy Purchases in Community Choice Aggregation. Energy Policy, 185, 113949.
  • Reynolds Kueny, C., Price, A., & Canfield, C. (2024). Measure Twice, Change Once: Using Simulation to Support Change Management in Rural Healthcare Delivery, Hefner, J.L., Cross, D.A. and Shay, P.D. (Ed.) Research and Theory to Foster Change in the Face of Grand Health Care Challenges (Advances in Health Care Management, Vol. 22), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, 29-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1474-823120240000022002
  • Valentín-Sívico, J., Canfield, C., Low, S. A., & Gollnick, C. (2023). Evaluating the Impact of Broadband Access and Internet Use in a Small Underserved Rural Community. Telecommunications Policy, 47(4), 102499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2023.102499
  • Valentín-Sívico, J., Canfield, C. & Egbue, O. (2022). Push them forward: Challenges in intergovernmental organizations’ influence on rural broadband infrastructure expansion. Government Information Quarterly, 39(4), 101752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2022.101752
  • Gao, X., Canfield, C., Tang, T., Hill, H., Higman, M., & Cornwell, J. (2022). Encouraging Voluntary Government Action via a Solar-Friendly Designation Program to Promote Solar Energy in the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(11), 1-9.
• Media
  • Article: Missouri S&T – Bringing crucial cancer treatments to rural communities
  • Press Release: Missouri S&T – Kummer Ignition Grants spark five research projects
  • Radio: St. Louis on the Air – New research bolsters broadband access in rural areas
  • Press Release: Missouri S&T – In its first 12 hours, S&T’s Kummer College hosts first Ph.D. dissertation defense
  • Podcast: Projectified – Infrastructure Tackling the Needs of Today and Tomorrow
  • Radio: Farm to Fork – Testing a Rural Broadband Option
  • Article: Telecompetitor – Missouri Fixed Wireless Trial Seeks to Use Machine Learning to Improve Service
  • Article: GovTech – Project Brings Wireless Internet Service to Rural Missouri
  • Press Release: US Ignite – New Broadband Technology Launched in Turney, MO
  • Blog: US Ignite – Smart Community Sparks: Engaging the Community
  • Podcast: The Divide – How ‘Project Overcome’ is tackling access in Clinton County, Missouri
  • Article: FlatlandKC – It Takes A Village to Reach Rural Broadband Fringe
  • Article: FlatlandKC – Internet ‘Last Mile’ Experiment Coming to Clinton County
  • Article: KTTN – Clinton County selected to test new broadband internet technology
  • Press Release: Missouri S&T – Missouri S&T broadband research wins national contract
  • Article/Radio: St. Louis Public Radio – Increasing Internet Access Touted As Bridge To Rural-Urban Divide
  • Article: Missouri S&T – More broadband research needed for Missouri’s rural areas, says Missouri S&T expert
  • Article: Missouri S&T – S&T researcher sheds light on solar power use
  • Press Release: SolSmart – New Research: SolSmart Has Measurable Impact on Local Solar Energy Growth
  • Press Release: The Solar Foundation – Over 400 Local Governments Meet Solar Energy Milestones Under SolSmart