Key Skills
- Researcher with strong academic research background in the fields of virtual reality, cognitive neuroscience, and psychology.
- Combining technical expertise and experience in research methodologies for the design and implementation of virtual reality applications, experimental studies, data collection and analysis.
- Solid teamwork and leadership skills including organization and management of academic conferences and projects.
- Experience with cross-functional teams.
Education
PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology
University of Barcelona 2014 – 2017
PhD Title: "The Impact of Virtual Embodiment on Perception, Attitudes, and Behaviour"
Funded by the FI-DGR 2014 Grant for universities and research centres for the recruitment of new research personnelMSc in Computer Graphics, Vision and Imaging
University College London 2009 - 2010
Thesis: "Experimental Studies in Peoples' Responses towards Blushing in Moral Dilemmas"
BSc in Computer Science
Ionian University 2004 – 2009
Thesis: “Developing a Graphical User Interface to Coordinate Video Processing Tasks” (honours)
Research
Principal Investigator
Interactive Media, New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi, UAE
September 2022 - Present
Tamkeen NYU Abu Dhabi Faculty Research Funding (76 71220 ADHPG VP211).
Senior Research Associate
GetLab, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
September 2020 - Present
Principal Investigator: Dr. Despina Michael-Grigoriou.
Postdoc
Event-Lab, University of Barcelona, Spain
March 2017 - August 2022
Project: MoTIVE (Moments in Time in Immersive Virtual Environments) - ERC Advanced Grant project.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Mel Slater.
Role: VR developer and experimental researcher.
Research Fellow
CYENS Centre of Excellence, VR for Well-Being Research Group, Nicosia, Cyprus
September 2020 - September 2022
The VR for Well-being multidisciplinary research group targets research in Virtual Reality for well-being, broadly construed. ‘Well-being’ refers to the general social, economic, psychological, spiritual or medical positive condition of an individual or a group.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Despina Michael-Grigoriou.
Research Assistant
Event-Lab, University of Barcelona, Spain
January 2011 - February 2017
Project: Beinstein (Becoming Einstein) - Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Mel Slater.
Role: VR developer and experimental researcher.
Project: VERE – Virtual Embodiment and Robotic Re-Embodiment - FP7 ICT Work Programme.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Mel Slater.
Role: VR developer and experimental researcher.
Project: BEAMING – Being in Augmented Multi-Modal Naturally-Networked Gatherings - FP7 ICT Work Programme.
Principal Investigator: Prof. Mel Slater.
Role: VR developer and experimental researcher.
University College London, UK
May 2010 - September 2010
Project: The exploitation of immersive virtual reality for the study of moral judgements - Leverhulme Trust.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Xueni Sylvia Pan, Prof. Mel Slater.
Role: developer and experimental researcher.
Teaching
Visiting Assistant Professor
New York University Abu Dhabi
IM-UH 2320 VR Research and Applications / Major Interactive Media | Fall 2023, Fall 2024
IM-UH 1011 Communications Lab / Major Interactive Media | Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025
IM-UH 2320 Games and Play / Major Interactive Media | Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025
IM-UH 4001 Capstone Project / Major Interactive Media | Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025
CS-UH 4001 Capstone Project in Computer Science 1 / Major Computer Science | Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
Part-time Lecturer
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
M7.458 Videogame programming in Unity3D / MSc in Video Game Design and Programming | Spring 2021, -22
Awards & Memberships
- Faculty Advancement Grant, UAE, 2024.
- Sigma Xi Honor Society Full Member Nomination, USA, 2024.
- Tamkeen 2024 Faculty Research Grant, UAE, 2024.
- Tamkeen 2023 Faculty Research Grant, UAE, 2023.
- Tamkeen 2022 Faculty Research Grant, UAE, 2022.
- FENS-IBRO/PERC Grant, Berlin, 2018.
- SIGGRAPH European Student Volunteer Contest, IST Austria, 2016.
- "Best Young Researcher" Award – University of Barcelona, 2015.
- Eurolife Grant - Summer School “Emotions”, Innsbruck, 2015.
- FI-DGR Grant for universities and research centres for the recruitment of new research personnel, 2014.
- Ionian University Award of Undergraduate Program in Informatics, 2009.
- IKY 2009 (Greek State Scholarships Foundation) Award & Scholarship, 2008-2009.
- IKY 2008 (Greek State Scholarships Foundation) Award & Scholarship, 2007-2008.
- IKY 2007 (Greek State Scholarships Foundation) Award & Scholarship, 2006-2007.
Academic Activities
- EAI ArtsIT 2024 General Chair, Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2024.
- EAI ArtsIT 2024 Local Chair, Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2024.
- EuroXR 2024 Application Program Chair, Athens, Greece, November 2024.
- ISEA 2022 International Program Committed/Art Jury, Barcelona, Spain, June 2022.
- IEEE VR 2022 Conference Track International Program Committee, Christchurch, New Zealand, March 2022.
- IEEE AIVR 2020 Program Committee, Virtual Event 2020.
- ICAT-EGVE 2018 Demo Chair Committee, Limassol, Cyprus, 2018.
- SIGGRAPH ASIA Student Volunteer, Macao, China, 2016.
- SIGGRAPH Student Volunteer, Anaheim, USA, 2016.
- Brain Awareness Week Campaign Volunteer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 2016.
- IEEE Melecon 2016 International Program Committee, Limassol, Cyprus, 2016.
- 1st IR3C PhD Symposium Organizing Committee, Barcelona, Spain, 2015.
- IEEE Virtual Reality Student Volunteer, Arles, France, 2015.
- 2nd VERE PhD Symposium Chair Committee, Barcelona, Spain, 2014.
- Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Psychology: Personality and Social Psychology.
- Editor, Frontiers in Psychology: Consciousness Research.
- Editor, Frontiers in Virtual Reality: Virtual Reality and Human Behaviour.
- Editor, Frontiers Research Topics.
- Editor, PLOS ONE.
- EuroXR, Association Member.
- SigmaXi Honor Association, Full Member (by nomination only).
Technologies
