Member Profile: Noshaba Cheema
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I develop machine learning algorithms for games, animation, and
human-computer interaction. I’ve been working in this field for six
years now.
2. What was your first job?
My first job was as a tutor for an applied mathematics lecture at my
undergraduate university, the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I studied Media Informatics at the University of Applied Sciences
Bremen, Germany. During my studies, I spent a semester abroad at the NYU
Games Lab in New York and completed a practical term at the Cognitive
Neuroinformatics lab at the University of Bremen in 2015—where I had my
first hands-on experience with machine learning. Fun fact: I even worked
on a project with Lex Fridman before he became widely known! 😆
After my undergraduate studies, I pursued two master’s degrees in Visual
Computing and Computer Science at Saarland University. I was awarded a
scholarship from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and had the
opportunity to conduct research at Aalto University in Finland for one
of my two master’s theses. That thesis won the Telekom Women in STEM
Award for Artificial Intelligence and was accepted at ACM CHI 2020. My
second thesis, published at Eurographics 2019, won the ACM/Eurographics
SCA Best Poster Award.
Currently, I’m completing my PhD at the Max Planck Institute for
Informatics and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence
(DFKI), focusing on ML algorithms for games and HCI. My latest
publication, presented at ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2023, introduced a method
for synthesizing fatigued motions without motion capture data or muscle
models.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I first got involved with ACM SIGGRAPH as an undergraduate volunteer at
SIGGRAPH 2016 in Anaheim. My Game Development lecturer introduced me to
the conference, and I was immediately hooked!
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
My favorite memory is from SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 in Tokyo, where I was
invited by Shoko and her team to speak on the Women in CG panel. They
even encouraged me to attend in cosplay, so I showed up as my
Live-Action Role Play character! The best part? I was invited purely for
who I am—without having to publish a paper or volunteer. It was an
incredible experience to be recognized in such a prestigious setting
just for being myself. Huge thanks to Shoko, Laura, and everyone
involved!
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH
community.
Right now, my colleagues and I are working on reinforcement learning
agents that can “think” outside the box—generating novel animations
beyond the given data distribution. It’s conceptually similar to the
High Jump paper from SIGGRAPH 2022, but with a unique twist.
Aside from that, I’m particularly proud of the custom physics and game
engines I built during my undergraduate years!
7. If you could have dinner with one person, living or deceased, who
would it be and why?
I’d love to meet Lex Fridman in person! He probably wouldn’t remember
me, which would make for a funny reunion. 😆 I’d also love to meet
Sebastian Starke, Jason Peng, and Daniel Holden, as they are pioneers in
my field.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I made it to the quarter-finals of Miss Germany in 2022/23! Also, I
absolutely love pole dancing. 😃
9. From which individual have you learned the most in your life? What
did they teach you?
That would be my mom. My dad became unable to work when I was just three
years old, so my mom raised three children while caring for a sick
husband—all while navigating life as an immigrant in Germany with
limited German skills. Her resilience and strength have shaped who I am
today.
10. Is there someone in particular who influenced your decision to work
with ACM SIGGRAPH?
Yes! My undergraduate Game Development lecturer, Thomas Jahn, who is
also a Technical Director at King Art Games in Bremen. 😊
11. What is your proudest career moment?
I have four! Winning the Telekom Women in STEM Award, competing in Miss
Germany despite my fears, publishing my first SIGGRAPH Asia paper, and
being invited to SIGGRAPH Asia to cosplay. 😆