Published November 5, 2021
This USC News article by Leigh Hopper features SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo and his work using virtual reality with older adults. You can read about Dr. Rizzo's mother's experience using VR and how it brought back memories from her trip there 35 years ago. The article also details how Dr. Rizzo and a colleague Elizabeth Zelinski are working together to create a "virtual caregiver support agent" to provide reminders and fill in information for memory lapses.
Published August 9, 2021
SMART-VR Co-directors Dr. Judy Pa and Dr. Skip Rizzo were recently featured on the USC Ideas in Action Podcast for the episode “Virtual Reality as a Form of Medicine”. With Dr. Pa representing the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) at Keck Medicine of USC and Dr. Rizzo with the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, they discuss the use of artificial intelligence and virtual reality to rewire our brains and improve the wellness of its users.
You can listen to the full episode at the Ideas in Action official website.
Published August 5, 2021
SMART-VR Community member Vangelis Lympouridis has been selected as part of the Expert Judging Panel for the 2021 VR Awards ceremony! He will join over 70 professionals from multi-disciplinary backgrounds around the world to determine the most impactful additions to the field of Virtual Reality for the year 2021.
Read more about Vangelis and the other expert judges at the official VR Awards website.
Published August 5, 2021
CNBC Money featured SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Glenn Fox in their article “Christine Brinkley: The Non-Negotiable Daily Habit That Gives Her Energy and Focus”. The article references Dr. Fox’s research on the host of benefits one can gain from practicing a daily habit of gratitude, which includes improved sleep, lower inflammation, more exercise, and lower blood pressure.
You can read the full article at CNBC’s Money column here.
Published August 5, 2021
SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo was featured by Denver Channel 7 for the segment “VR Improving Treatment Options For Those with PTSD”. He discusses the effectiveness of immersive exposure therapy, its use as an effective treatment for trauma within the United States military, and his anticipation for its application toward a broader range of needs in the future.
View the full news clip and article at the official ABC Denver Channel 7 website here.
Published August 5, 2021
SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Glenn Fox was featured on the BRAVO 16 Podcast, speaking on his research and experiences surrounding gratitude, neuroscience, and providing help to veterans as well.
Listen to the full episode with BRAVO 16 on Apple Podcasts here.
Published August 5, 2021
Congratulations to Dr. Tyler Ard, who received the USC Technology Commercialization Award for his development of the Schol-AR application. Schol-AR enhances scholarly publications with 3D models using Augmented Reality, providing readers with an in-depth look at data with the use of a smartphone.
His work was featured at the 2021 SMART-VR Community Showcase, which can be viewed here.
Learn more about the Technology Commercialization Award and all Stevens Center 2020 awardees at the USC Stevens Center for Innovation website here.
Published August 5, 2021
The New York Times featured SMART-VR co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo’s work on the use of Virtual Reality to combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms through the use of Bravemind, which was developed to address trauma from combat in United States veterans.
You can read the full article via subscription to The New York Times at their official website.
Published August 5, 2021
SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Glenn Fox was featured in Elle Magazine’s “The Healing Power Behind Gratitude And A Handwritten Thank You Note”, citing his research on the practice of gratitude. He describes the habit of gratefulness as an indispensable part of his routine throughout the pandemic, along with the benefits of its application within the role of parenting as well.
Read the full article for free at Elle Magazine’s Beauty column here.
Published August 5, 2021
Congratulations to SMART-VR Community member Max Orozco, who received a Gold Medal Award for his work with Ready Teddy at the 2021 Serious Play Conference Awards!
Ready Teddy is a preparatory serious game that teaches children what to expect while undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans using Virtual Reality. It was inspired by his work at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he recognized the need for addressing the concerns of his pediatric patients undergoing this procedure.
Visit the official Serious Games Conference website here.
Published August 5, 2021
VFX Science featured SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo for his work with Bravemind, an application focused on virtual immersion therapy for the treatment of PTSD in US Veterans. Read about Dr. Rizzo’s experience and insights with the development of Bravemind, along with his predictions for the growth of virtual treatments within the world of healthcare.
Read the full article for free on the VFX Science official website.
Published August 5, 2021
The NIH Reach Spotlight column featured the work of SMART-VR Community member Brandon Birckhead and colleagues at Cedars-Sinai hospital on their development of the Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC).
BACPAC is a “a patient-centered effort to address the need for effective and personalized therapies for chronic low back pain,” utilizing Virtual Reality technology to place the user within three-dimensional worlds that re-direct the brain’s signals toward their virtual environments.
To learn more about BACPAC and Cedar-Sinai’s research efforts, read the full article on the National Institutes of Health Heal Initiative website.
Published August 5, 2021
SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Judy Pa, Principal Investigator of The Pa Laboratory, was a featured guest with KNX1070 Radio. Following singer Tony Bennett’s revelation of his diagnosis in 2016, Dr. Pa discusses the topic of Alzheimer’s Disease, blood-testing, mitigating risks for the disease, and work highlighting underrepresented groups within research.
You can view the official Los Angeles KNX1070 Newsradio website here.
Published August 5, 2021
BBC Science Focus Magazine featured SMART-VR co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo in an article titled “Phobias, Paranoia, and PTSD: Why Virtual Reality Therapy is the Frontier of Mental Health Treatment”. Dr. Rizzo emphasizes the application of Virtual Reality toward a wide range of applications within the world of mental health.
You can access the full feature via BBC Science Focus Magazine on Apple News.
Published August 5, 2021
Congratulations to SMART-VR Board of Directors member Dr. Michael Zyda on being named a 2020 fellow to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)! Dr. Zyda is the founding director of the USC Computer Science Games program, and a Professor of Engineering Practice in the USC Department of Computer Science.
Fellows at the ACM are recognized as leading contributors to the field of computer science. Other USC researchers recognized include Maja Mataric (Chan Soon-Shiong Chair and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics) and Sven Koenig (Professor of Computer Science).
To learn more about the association and the contributions of its 2020 fellows, visit the official ACM Website.
Published August 5, 2021
SMART-VR Co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo was featured by Polygon for his work on Bravemind, which seeks to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through immersive exposure therapy. He makes the case for Virtual Reality’s application toward a wide range of needs within wellness and rehabilitation as well.
View the full clip on Polygon’s YouTube channel here!
Published August 5, 2021
Congratulations to SMART-VR Community member Ryan Cabeen on being selected for grant funding by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for his work on the development of the Quantitative Imaging Toolkit.
“This project works towards building next-generation computational tools that promote collaborative and quantitative neuroimaging. Dr. Cabeen will focus on creating tools for exploring large cohorts and bridging imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, preclinical imaging, and microscopy; generating benchmark datasets for validating computational imaging tools and supporting educational exercises; and building an online platform for sharing neuroinformatics expertise among the research community. The project also aims to develop educational programming for training biologists and biomedical researchers in computational neuroimaging, and it will be driven by close collaborations with researchers using the two imaging cores at the USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute: the Center for Image Acquisition (CIA) and the Neuroimaging and Informatics Computing Center (NICC).”
To learn more about Dr. Cabeen and this project, head over to the Chan Zuckerberg official website.
Published August 5, 2021
Medium.com featured SMART-VR Community member Max Orozco’s work with Ready Teddy, a Virtual Reality game designed as a preparatory method for children undergoing MRI procedures. Learn about how his work at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles helped inspire the development of this important application, his entrepreneurial journey, and advice for future student entrepreneurs to benefit from as well.
View the full article on Medium for free at their official website.
Publishsed August 5, 2021
Congratulations to SMART-VR co-director Dr. Skip Rizzo and his colleagues at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies for their 2020 Annual Commitment to Service Award from SoldierStrong! This award recognizes the outstanding contribution of the Bravemind application, which serves to address PTSD with the use of immersive exposure therapy through Virtual Reality.
This honor was co-awarded to Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump as executive director of the President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans to End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) Task Force.
Together they were acknowledged for their outstanding achievements in the promotion of mental health and wellness among veterans of the United States armed forces. Learn more about the Commitment to Service Award and its recipients at SoldierStrong's announcement on their official website.
Published January 29, 2021
“Virtual Reality Treatment Helps Veterans With PTSD” – NBCLA I-TEAM, November 2020
NBC Los Angeles featured SMART-VR co-director Skip Rizzo for his development of Bravemind, a Virtual Reality application that aims to treat veterans with PTSD through the use of immersive therapeutics. Hear more about the science behind this cutting-edge technology, along with a personal testimony from participant Chris Merkle on how Bravemind has positively impacted his life.