Jacob Sheahan is a researcher with a background in industrial and interaction design, and whose work explores socially complex contexts, from health to ageing to safety. He brings a creative approach and design tactics to interdisciplinary and collaborative research, often partnering with local communities and organisations.

Jacob joined the University of Edinburgh and Design Informatics in 2023, conduting research exploring the value of informal care in later life and how emerging technologies could support it, as part of the Advanced Care Research Centre. In 2025 he returned to RMIT, and is now working with people experiencing long COVID and their health providers to build more inclusive models of care. Jacob continues to be a visiting research at Design Informatics.