UX Researcher · San Jose, CA

Jamie K. Li

I turn evidence about how people think and behave into product decisions — across productivity software, consumer hardware, and VR/MR.

Mixed-methods researcher — usability, interviews, benchmarking, surveys, and quantitative analysis. Recently at Meta Reality Labs (Hands, Gaze and Controller inputs); previously at Microsoft and Google, and as a researcher in Stanford Psychology, where my work on self-regulation has been cited 900+ times.

908
Citations on
Google Scholar
9+
Peer-reviewed
publications
8
h-index
4 yrs
UX research in
industry

Scholar metrics from Google Scholar profile · Oct 2026. See also full CV (PDF).

Portrait of Jamie K. Li
Jamie K. Li UX Researcher — mixed methods, usability & quantitative analysis Google Scholar ↗ [email protected]

About

Results-oriented researcher who combines keen analytical skills with a deep understanding of user behaviour.

I have a proven track record of driving product innovation through actionable insights, working with products at every stage — concept, early-stage, and mature. My practice pairs qualitative depth (interviews, concept testing, mental models, usability testing) with quantitative rigour (benchmarking, surveys, A/B testing, and Python-based analysis including t-tests, ANOVA, regression and correlation).

Before industry, I spent four years at Stanford's Department of Psychology building behavioural tasks, cleaning and analysing data in Python, MATLAB and JavaScript, and co-authoring work on self-regulation and reward learning. That foundation shapes how I work today: define the question precisely, triangulate methods, and present findings in a form each audience — designers, engineers, PMs, directors and VPs — can act on.

Most recently I have also used AI tools to accelerate quantitative and qualitative analysis, chart creation, and prototype testing.

Expertise

  • Qualitative methods
  • Quantitative analysis
  • Usability & interviews
  • Surveys
  • Rapid iterative research
  • Python
  • Mental models
  • AI tools for UX research
  • Concept testing & benchmarking
  • A/B testing
  • Diary studies & JTBD
  • MATLAB & JavaScript

Education

University of California, San Diego — B.S. Psychology, Cognitive Science minor (2015)

  1. Jan 2025 — Apr 2026Burlingame, CA

    UX Researcher — Meta Reality Labs via Magnit Global

    • Led user research assessing software quality of inputs (Hands, Gaze, Controllers) across Reality Labs products, de-risking new launches and prototypes.
    • Triangulated concept testing, benchmarking, usability testing, in-depth interviews, surveys and A/B testing for a holistic view.
    • Analysed quantitative results in Python (means, t-tests, deviations, regressions, correlations); used AI to accelerate quant/qual analysis, charting and prototype testing.
    • Partnered with PMs, engineers and designers to define end-to-end research goals and turn insights into product iterations, with clear reports and presentations for cross-functional teams.
  2. Oct 2022 — Jan 2024Burlingame, CA

    UX Researcher — Meta Reality Labs via Iconma

    • Led and managed end-to-end research on the overall VR/MR Hands experience; defined research goals and presented actionable insights.
    • Identified key improvement areas and worked with designers, PMs and engineers to implement a new strategy.
    • Managed local participant recruitment with vendors; aligned study designs to stakeholder needs, timelines and cost.
    • Tailored decks for designers, engineers, PMs and director/VP audiences. Qual: 1:1 interviews, usability, mental models, concept testing. Quant: benchmarking, surveys, Python, regression, ANOVA, t-tests.
  3. Jan — Jun 2022Remote

    UX Researcher — Microsoft via Allovus

    • Defined jobs-to-be-done for Excel Online for different user types through generative research.
    • Used diary studies, surveys and interviews to define mental models and JTBD; analysed interview, usability and survey data.
  4. Jul 2020 — Apr 2021Mountain View, CA

    Data Coordinator — Google via Crowdstaffing

    • Helped identify an unknown security issue with the Pixel under-display fingerprint sensor by evaluating spoofing metrics.
    • Contributed a new fingerprint collection method that reduced user effort while maximising accuracy.
    • Collected data from user, validation and usability studies to measure sensor accuracy; analysed sensor performance in MATLAB and built the results deck.
  5. Sep 2015 — Jun 2019Palo Alto, CA

    Social Science Research Professional — Stanford University, Psychology

    • Co-authored 9+ papers (700+ citations at CV writing; 908 on Scholar today) informing understanding of human self-regulation.
    • Coded 50+ behavioural tasks and surveys in JavaScript; cleaned and quality-checked data in Python and JavaScript.
    • Ran hypothesis testing, ANOVAs, correlations and regressions in Python and MATLAB; presented studies at conference.

Selected work

Three projects: JTBD-based journey mapping, a sample UX benchmark report, and typing in VR. Full case studies in progress — the benchmarking sample is ready to read now.

Request full portfolio →
Microsoft · Excel Online2022

User journeys: from jobs-to-be-done to journey maps

Generative research defining jobs-to-be-done for different Excel Online user types, translated into journey maps showing goals, pain points and opportunities at each stage. Diary studies, surveys and interviews gave the team a shared picture of who the product serves and where it falls short.

Methods
Diary studies, interviews, surveys, JTBD synthesis, journey mapping
Role
Generative research, mental-model, JTBD & journey synthesis
Case study — coming soon Add link, journey maps and outcomes here. Email for details in the meantime. Request this case study →
Meta Reality Labs · VR/MR2022 — 2026

Typing in VR: comparing text-entry methods

Research comparing the different ways people type in VR/MR — controller raycasting, hand-tracking direct touch, and gaze-supported entry — on speed, accuracy, comfort and learnability. Findings fed the input quality strategy and de-risked new launches and prototypes.

Methods
Usability, benchmarking, concept testing, interviews, surveys, A/B testing
Role
Research lead — goals, study design, recruitment, synthesis, stakeholder decks
Slide deck — ready to view Synthetic portfolio study: 7 text-entry methods, N=50 simulated, 20 slides. Download the deck (PPTX) →
Sample · Benchmarking2026

UX benchmarking: 10-task baseline in practice

End-to-end sample benchmark on Harbor, a fictional team workspace: 10 tasks, N=32, scored on success, time, SEQ, SUS and NPS, with severity-rated findings and Wave 2 targets. Demonstrates the full benchmarking format — method, CIs, charts and prioritised recommendations.

Methods
Moderated benchmarking, SEQ, SUS, NPS, quant analysis (Python)
Role
Study design, analysis and reporting (sample work)
Sample report — ready to read Fictional product, illustrative data. Full 10-task report with results and recommendations. Read the sample report →

Need a mixed-methods researcher who can also run the numbers — for productivity, hardware, or VR/MR? Get in touch.

Publications

Psychology & cognitive neuroscience — 908 citations, h-index 8 on Google Scholar.

Google Scholar profile ↗
  1. 554citations

    Uncovering the structure of self-regulation through data-driven ontology discovery

    Eisenberg, Bissett, Enkavi, Li, J., MacKinnon et al.

    Nature Communications 10, 2319 · 2019

    2019
  2. 86citations

    The Experiment Factory: standardizing behavioral experiments

    Sochat, Eisenberg, Enkavi, Li, J., Bissett, Poldrack

    Frontiers in Psychology 7, 610 · 2016

    2016
  3. 81citations

    Reward learning over weeks versus minutes increases the neural representation of value in the human brain

    Wimmer, Li, J. K., Gorgolewski, Poldrack

    Journal of Neuroscience 38(35), 7649–7666 · 2018

    2018
  4. 77citations

    Applying novel technologies and methods to inform the ontology of self-regulation

    Eisenberg, Bissett, Canning, Dallery, Enkavi, Li, J. et al.

    Behaviour Research and Therapy 101, 46–57 · 2018

    2018
  5. 68citations

    Secondary motor cortex transforms spatial information into planned action during navigation

    Olson, Li, J. K., Montgomery, Nitz

    Current Biology 30(10), 1845–1854 · 2020

    2020
  6. 21citations

    Uncovering mental structure through data-driven ontology discovery

    Eisenberg, Bissett, Enkavi, Li, J., MacKinnon, Marsch, Poldrack

    OSF · 2018

    2018
  7. 12citations

    A dual-task approach to inform the taxonomy of inhibition-related processes

    Bissett, Jones, Hagen, Bui, Li, J. K., Rios, Mumford et al.

    J. Exp. Psychol.: Human Perception and Performance 49(3), 277 · 2023

    2023
  8. 9citations

    Cognitive tasks, anatomical MRI, and functional MRI data evaluating the construct of self-regulation

    Bissett, Eisenberg, Shim, Rios, Jones, Hagen, Li, J. K. et al.

    Scientific Data 11, 809 · 2024

    2024
  9. —new

    Arbitrary stimuli are not devalued by stopping action — a registered replication of Wessel et al. (2014)

    Bissett et al., incl. Li, Jamie

    JEP: General · 2025 · listed in CV

    2025

Citation counts from Google Scholar (Oct 2026). Full list, co-authors and links on the Scholar profile. Scholar lists the affiliation as Stanford University (verified stanford.edu email), research interest: Psychology.

Contact

Open to UX research opportunities and collaborations. The fastest way to reach me is email.

Location
San Jose, CA
Email
[email protected]
Scholar
Jamie K Li — 908 citations
Education
UC San Diego — B.S. Psychology (2015)