Until June 2015, she was an associate professor at New York University, with a joint appointment in computer science and in the Game Center at the Tisch School of the Arts.
[1] At NYU, she was founding research director of the Game Innovation Lab.
Isbister's research and design contributions center on how to create more compelling emotional and social qualities in games and other digital experiences.
[3] She is also co-editor of a book which outlines the state of the art in user research practices in studying games, titled Game Usability: Advice from the Experts for Advancing the Player Experience.
[4] Isbister received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, with a focus on the design of interactive characters.