Moji’s work focuses on wayfinding in complex indoor environments, particularly how spatial organization and environmental features shape the wayfinding experience of users. His research examines the cognitive and emotional processes that influence how wayfinders experience, interpret, and transit through complex architectural spaces, with a particular interest in the challenges associated with large healthcare settings and the emotional weight these environments carry. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates design research, environmental psychology, and cognitive science, he aims not only to identify design strategies currently used in industry but also to develop broader, evidence-based strategic frameworks that support improved wayfinding experiences. This research trajectory steers his work toward addressing academic questions derived from real-world industry challenges and practice-based limitations, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on wayfinding while also providing actionable design insights. Moji is in the third year of his Ph.D. journey in Human Behavior and Design and is a member of the Design and Augmented Intelligence Lab (DAIL). He holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Interior Design and brings professional experience in interior design and visualization. He has authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and conference papers addressing topics such as wayfinding, healthcare environments, and sustainable interior design and architecture.

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Ashour, M., Yang, Q., Qiu, Z., & Kalantari, S. (2026). Designing Human-Centered Journeys: Design Strategies for Enhancing Wayfinding in Complex Healthcare Environments. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal. (in press)

Shepley, M. M., Joyce, K., Ashour, M., Radmanesh, N., Gao, Y., Liu, Z., … & Thai, J. (2024). Staff, patient, and designer perspectives on outpatient rehabilitation therapy environments: A pilot study. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal. 2025;0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867241304029

Qiu, Z., Ashour, M., Zhou, X., & Kalantari, S. (2024). NavMarkAR: A landmark-based augmented reality (AR) wayfinding system for enhancing older Adults’ spatial learning. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 62, 102635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2024.102635

Conference Presentations

Ashour, M., Yang, Q., Qiu, Z., Kalantari, S. (2025, September 19). Wayfinding by design: Theoretical echoes in expert practice [Poster presentation]. Seventh Biennial ANFA Conference, Neuroscience for Architecture, La Jolla, CA.

Ashour, M., Yang, Q., Qiu, Z., Kalantari, S. (2025, May 1). Designing Human-Centered Journeys: Strategies for Enhancing Wayfinding in Complex Healthcare Environments [Poster presentation]. Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research Poster Symposium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Ashour, M., Mojtahedi, A. (2024, June 8). SA307 – Human-Centered Design for Architecture: S, M, L, XL. Presented at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design, Washington, D.C.