Antlej Kaja

Dr Kaja Antlej is a digital innovation leader whose main research explores how to design, develop, and evaluate meaningful immersive extended reality (XR) experiences that improve well-being for people in isolation, including astronauts on long-duration space missions, those living and working in Antarctica, patients in intensive care units, older adults in aged-care facilities, and international students away from home. Her interdisciplinary projects bring together museum and heritage content, AI and affective computing specialists, engineers, scientists, and creative professionals.

With 19 years of experience in 3D digital innovation, Kaja holds a BSc/MSc in Industrial Design (2008) and a PhD in Museum and Heritage Studies (2013) from the University of Ljubljana, both industry-focused and centred on 3D technologies. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, Co-founder of HuTech – Human-Centric Technologies Research Group, and Researcher at the CADET Virtual Reality Training and Simulation Research Lab at the School of Engineering, Deakin University, Australia.

Her expertise in the space sector was strengthened through the Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program 2021 (SHSSP21), delivered by the International Space University (ISU) and the University of South Australia, which deepened her insights into the global space industry. She has played pivotal roles in establishing associations, professional sections, and research initiatives across human space exploration, human-centred design, digital heritage, virtual museums, XR, 3D printing, futures thinking, well-being, and entrepreneurship. She currently serves as Chair of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Melbourne Section and as a member of the International Astronautical Federation’s Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space (ITACCUS).

In 2014, Kaja founded her consultancy through a start-up accelerator, reflecting her entrepreneurial drive. She has extensive transferable expertise in cross-cultural communication and interdisciplinary partnerships, honed through academic, industry, and non-profit collaborations worldwide. Through leadership and teaching, she actively empowers the next generation of creative problem solvers.

A dual Slovenian and Australian citizen with professional experience in Europe, Morocco, Japan, and Australia, Kaja is also Co-founder (President 2017–25) of the Slovenian Australian Academic Association (SAAA), a member of the Association of Slovenes Educated Abroad (VTIS), and a mentor in the American Slovenian Education Foundation (ASEF) Fellowship Program.