How might we create better health with virtual reality (VR)?

The BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) and the Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI) are collaborating to host a digital health research series.

Topics discussed will include:

• Promote understanding of diverse applications of VR and its benefits in healthcare: Help attendees grasp the underlying principles and technologies behind VR applications in health. Explain how VR can create immersive experiences and enhance patient care.
• Identify best practices and encourage further research: Share research studies and projects at BCCHR & WHRI that have effectively implemented VR in the practices. Stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue research opportunities related to VR in healthcare and to potentially highlight areas where additional research is needed.
• Inspire innovation: Motivate attendees to think creatively and explore new applications of VR in healthcare.

SPEAKERS

Alexandra Kitson

Dr. Alexandra Kitson is a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University in Canada. She is actively involved in research within the Tangible Embodied Child-Computer Interaction Lab with Dr. Alissa Antle.

Dr. Kitson’s work revolves around collaborating with various community stakeholders, including industry partners and vulnerable populations. Her primary focus is to facilitate the design, development, and evaluation of digital well-being and mental health technologies. By harnessing the potential of emerging technologies such as wearables and mixed reality, Dr. Kitson aims to increase accessibility to mental health and well-being support systems. Simultaneously, she strives to empower diverse populations by recognizing their expertise as individuals with unique lived experiences.

Natalie Brown

Natalie is a PhD student in the UBC Clinical Psychology program, working under the supervision of Drs. Lori Brotto and Alan Kingstone. She completed her BA in Psychology at Queen’s University in 2017. Natalie’s MA thesis explored the cognitive mechanisms underlying sexual attraction and desire, with a specific focus on asexuality and Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder. She was also involved with IMMERSIVE, a study investigating women’s subjective sexual responses to virtual reality erotica, and she is currently evaluating virtual reality as a clinical tool for individuals with genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) in her PhD. Overall, her research program aims to improve our understanding of sexual difficulties and develop evidence-based interventions for individuals with distressing sexual concerns.

Chelsea Stunden

Chelsea Stunden is a clinical research and evaluation specialist with over a decade of healthcare, technology, research and evaluation experience.

Chelsea has led, launched, and published user testing, program evaluation, clinical trial, and surveillance projects working with a combination of private, non-profit, academic, and government organizations. Chelsea is the Manager of Research & Evaluation at the Digital Lab, an integrated unit of UBC Department of Pediatrics and BC Children’s Hospital, where she studies the value and impact of digital health innovations within the pediatric context.

RESERVE