Cagan is the David and Susan Coulter Head of Mechanical Engineering and the George Tallman and Florence Barrett Ladd Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He also holds a courtesy appointment in the School of Design and serves as Associate Director of the Human+AI Design Initiative. His research integrates AI, machine learning, optimization, and cognitive science to advance engineering design automation. He focuses on computational modeling of designer processes, human-AI teamwork, biomechanical system design, and product development. A co-founder of the Integrated Innovation Institute, he has over 300 publications and multiple patents. He has received numerous awards, including the ASME Design Theory and Methodology Award and the NSF CAREER Award. He teaches design, innovation, and optimization courses.