Events

Dr. Veronica Weser co-presented a workshop titled “Let's Get Real: Using Virtual and Extended Reality for IPC Training and Education” at APIC24 Annual Conference and Exposition on 4^th June, alongside Infection Preventionist Dr. Andrea S. Greenfield and Program Manager Chloe V. Green from the Massachusetts General Hospital. The workshop team described foundational principles of the use of VR in healthcare training as well as their experience building and piloting VR infection prevention and control (IPC) training for healthcare professionals (HCP).

Dr. Kanu Priya Singh, postdoc associate, presented Invite Only VR’s (a vaping prevention videogame) early findings on teachers’ perceptions of students’ vaping behavior in schools at the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) 32nd Annual Meeting: Advancing Partnerships and Collaborative Approaches in Prevention Science in Washington DC.

Drs. Hieftje and Marks presented at Grand Rounds Mesh Core 2024 at Harvard Innovation Labs, speaking on mixed reality technologies in pediatric healthcare.

Dr. Hieftje had the honor of speaking with middle school students at Francis Walsh Intermediate School in March 2024 as part of their career panel. There were so many kids already making their own games!

Drs. Hieftje, Marks, and Weser and postgraduate associate Mona Sinha traveled to Los Angeles during the final week of March to attend vMed 2024 and present a poster entitled "NICU Stakeholder Input to Inform Content of a Virtual Reality Infection Prevention Educational Experience Targeting NICU Patient Families."

Drs. Hieftje and Marks participated in a panel discussion with Innerworld founder and CEO Noah Robinson about using VR for child mental health.

Postdoctoral associate Erin J.K. Truesdell showed her collaborative alternative-control game Haber Dasher as part of the Indie Arcade exhibition at MAGFest 2024.

Drs. Hieftje and Marks presented a talk titled “XR and Kids: Design and Implementation Considerations” at the Mass General Brigham XR network event on 12 December 2023. At this event, they discussed our process for development, evaluation, and implementation of XR-based applications focused on kids as the end users.

Drs. Hieftje and Marks presented on our work at XRPeds and the new Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics at an event hosted at Mass General Brigham in a talk titled "XR and Kids: Design and Implementation Considerations." In their talk, they covered the expansion of XRPeds and the foundation of the new Center, and the triumphs and challenges of expanding access to immersive technologies within the Yale community.

Dr. Hieftje discussed ethical considerations related to mental healthcare when providing “therapy” without a therapist with some amazing folks at ABCT 57th Annual Convention in Seattle on Nov 17.