Aleena Chia is a lecturer in Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. She researches video game production cultures and digital wellness practices to understand how technologies of automation and ideologies of optimisation impact inequalities in cultural production (and public culture). Her research on videogames analyses game engines and production cultures. Her work on wellness investigates lucid dreaming, neuro-wearables, and disconnection from social media. 

Dr. Chia received her PhD in Communication and Culture from Indiana University in 2017 and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies in 2018.  She joined Simon Fraser University as an assistant professor in 2019, before moving to Goldsmiths in 2021. 

conferences

  • Association of Internet Researchers. Roundtable: generative AI as a media technology, w/ Tarleton Gillespie, Kate Miltner, Caitlin Petre, Jill Walker Rettberg, Luke Stark. 30 October – 2 November 2023• Sheffield, UK.
  • Digital Games Research Association. Panelist on 'Critical Video Game Engine Studies' with James Malazita and organisers Ari Gass and Peter McDonald. July 1-5th 2024, Guadalajara.
  • International Communication Association. Panelist on 'Algorithmic creativity: The implications of Artificial Intelligence on creative labor.' with Joanne Kuai, Pei-Sze Chow, Enongo Lumumba Kasongo, Dal Yong Jin; organised by Alberto Lusoli. 20-24 June 2024. Gold Coast/Hybrid..​​

Invited Talks

  • Virtual Realisms Talk Series. University of Westminster. 5 December 2024.
  • Generative AI and Creative Industries Conference. University of Turin. 28-29 October 2024.
  • DDH Seminar Series​. King's College London. 6 November 2024.
  • Atmospheres of Connection and Disconnection. Commentary on the On&Off project. Universidade Lusófona.  24 October 2024. Lisbon, Portugal.
  • Mesh Festival.  Conversation on the Metaverse with Vanessa Amoah Opoku. 16-20 October 2024. Basel, Switzerland. 
  • IEEE Conference on Games. Keynote. "Race-Making in Real-Time 3D." 5-8 August 2024. Milan, Italy.
  • Now Play This. Plenary address co-programmed with British Digital Games Research Association as part of London Games Festival. 'Race-Making in Real-Time 3D.' 11 April 2024. Somerset House. London, UK. 

Lately ...

CV · Talks · Research · TEACHING

Keynote at IEEE Conference on Games, August 2024
Podcast Interview by Susannah Crockford, June 2024
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GameIndustry.biz Panel writeup, June 2024
Plenary talk at Now Play This, London Games Festival, April 2024
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Workshop Co-organised at Goldsmiths, March 2024
a.chia (at) gold.ac.uk