Hi! We’re researchers at the National Insititutes of Health (NIH) who
use virtual reality in health and medical research. We’re here to answer
your questions about how VR is being used in to better human lives –
ask us anything!
Abstract
Virtual reality, one of the most rapidly expanding areas of tech and
gaming, is also playing important roles in the arenas of medicine and
health – and for good reason! The ability to simulate experiences
expands opportunities for biomedical researchers, clinicians and
patients in ways that previously seemed limited to the imaginations of
sci-fi writers. Patients can now reduce stress through VR experiences,
doctors can practice surgical techniques through simulated experiences,
and medical students can practice bedside manner in different scenarios
in a virtual world. These experiences are just the tip of the iceberg on
what can be done to improve our medical care and well-being with VR.
Here at NIH, researchers are using VR to study a host of research
questions. For example: How can VR be used to better our response to
emergencies during natural disasters? In what applications is VR used
for rehabilitation after brain trauma, and how can we improve upon this?
Can VR be used to improve the way doctors talk to their patients about
genetics? Will patients better understand how to take care of themselves
by participating in VR scenarios powered by PubMed articles? Can we use
VR to communicate with patients in a way that helps them understand and
adhere to healthy living strategies? We’ve gathered our experts and are
here to answer any questions you might about virtual reality in health
and medicine! Ask us anything! Your hosts today are: Susan Persky,
Ph.D., Head of the Immersive Virtual Environment Testing Area, and
Associate Investigator in the Social Behavioral Research Branch at the
National Human Genome Research Institute. My research applies virtual
reality tools to understand how genetics will change the interactions we
have in medical settings, in society, and within our families. Patti
Brennan, RN, Ph.D., Director, National Library of Medicine (NLM). Before
I came to NIH I created the Living Environments Lab which used a c6 CAVE
to accelerate design of home care technologies
(http://www.vizhome.orghttp://www.vizhome.org/) At NIH, our Advanced
Visualization Branch in the National Institute of Nursing Research
(NINR) will use VR/AR to improve patients’ self-care and self-management
skills. Victor Cid, M.S., Senior Computer Scientist, Disaster
Information Management Research Center at the NLM. I conduct and manage
research and development activities to support the work of emergency
responders and managers before, during and after disaster situations.
Among my projects, I develop virtual reality simulations to train
emergency professionals, and explore the opportunities that immersive
virtual environments can offer for professional development,
collaboration, and as platforms for outreach and innovation. John
Ostuni, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). My research focuses on developing virtual
experiences for use with medical research. William Kistler, M.A., Lab
Manager of the Immersive Virtual Environment Testing Area at NHGRI. My
Master’s research focused on the human perception of motion and
exploring its basic limits via stimuli created in virtual reality.
Currently, my work is in support of social and behavioral researchers
seeking to augment their own research with virtual reality tools. Jeremy
Swan, B.A., Biovisualization Specialist with the Computer Support
Services Core at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD). My duties include helping
investigators communicate their science and use emerging technologies in
their research by producing graphics, diagrams, 3D prints, VR apps,
photos, videos, websites and applications. UPDATE: Thanks all for the
wonderful questions! We had a great time answering them and can’t wait
to do this again in the near future. Cheers, Reddit-ers!