Currently a PhD researcher at the HCI Lab at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic, Vinaya Tawde works at the intersection of Human–Computer Interaction, digital mental health, and design research. Her work explores how interactive technologies, particularly playful and augmented reality games, can foster emotion literacy, belonging, and social connection among children and young people. Over the past 10 years, she has worked across India, New Zealand and Czech Republic on digital mental health and inclusive design projects supporting teenagers and neurodivergent children.