Principle Investigator
Dr. Fatemeh Saeidi-Rizi
I am an assistant professor of landscape architecture in the School of Planning, Design, and Construction at Michigan State University. After earning my PhD in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois in 2021, under the mentorship of Professor William Sullivan, I joined MSU later that August. My work uniquely bridges landscape architecture, cognitive psychology, urban design, and health. Through both empirical and theoretical approaches, I look into understanding the complex connections between the built environment and the health and well-being of individuals.
Current Lab Members
Musab Wedyan: PhD Student
Musab earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architectural Engineering from Yarmouk University and Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan. His research explores how outdoor environments influence human mental and physical health, using machine learning methods, text mining and LLM.
Xinyi Wang: PhD Student
Xinyi completed her Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at RMIT University in Australia, followed by a Master’s degree at University College London in the United Kingdom. She is now exploring how different groups such as students, older adults, and marginalized communities, experience and respond to public space design using machine learning and computational spatial models.
Alumni
Yu-Chen Yeh: Visiting Scholar
Yu-Chen Yeh was a visiting scholar at the HealthScape Lab from August 2023 to July 2024. Her research focuses on campus communities and youth health. Since August 2025, she has been serving as a Project Assistant Professor in the Department of Leisure Industry and Health Promotion at the National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Courtney McKown: Master Student
Courtney was a master’s student in Environmental Design at Michigan State University, with a background in Neurobiology, Zoo & Aquarium Science, and Graphic Design. Courtney was studying the effects of outdoor environments on older adults and is researching the influence of natural zoo enclosures on visitor experiences.
Pengyu Chen
Pengyu Chen completed an M.E.D. thesis titled “Horticultural Therapy via Sensory Experiences on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Different Cultural Backgrounds.” Their research explored the therapeutic role of sensory-based horticultural practices in supporting individuals with PTSD across diverse cultural contexts. Since graduating, Pengyu has been working as a Landscape Design Assistant with the City of Detroit.
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