Sahoko Yui (she/her)

Sahoko (she/her) is a researcher with the social safety net team. She is passionate about the intersection of physical and social systems and behavior. She received her PhD from UC Davis where she examined behavior and food systems using social practice theory. Her doctorate work helped inform her work as a design research fellows at the Van Alen Institute, a nonprofit architectural organization dedicated to improving design in the public realm. The fellowship gave her the opportunity to collaborate with designers, engineers, and researchers on how to design the future of food systems for climate resiliency. It was moving to the industry where she had the opportunity to be part of a women’s hackathon. She and a team of 8 women worked to tackle Covid-19 issues affecting women. Her hackathon team created a chatbot to assist those most affected by the pandemic including women, immigrants, and caretakers. Their team won outstanding code, design & user experience, and most innovative solution. She previously worked at the Palo Alto Research Center and contracted with CareAR and Google. Outside of work, she enjoys eating desserts and creating art using food waste and plants.