Dr. Erika A. Pärn is a Research Scientist at the SMART Construction Research Lab at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and collaborates with the University of Cambridge Department of Civil Engineering, where she previously served as a Senior Research Associate within the Construction Information Technology (CIT) Lab. Her work focuses on digital construction, Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twins, and the application of artificial intelligence to support data-driven decision-making for sustainable infrastructure.
She led the EPSRC-funded RESTOR project, which examined generative design and AI-enabled steel reuse in construction, and has worked alongside leading organisations and researchers in digital transformation. Dr. Pärn is also co-author of Twin Systems: Digital Twins of the Built Environment, written in collaboration with leading experts in the field.
At NYUAD, her current research includes advanced digital twin interfaces, including ChatTwin, a platform designed to enable natural language interaction with infrastructure digital twins for road asset management and decision support.