PhD: Cognitive Psychology & Immersive Design

My doctoral research explored how immersive digital environments can improve cognitive and emotional states, resulting in novel design-led approaches to restoration and mindfulness grounded in cognitive science.

• Developed an abstract, restorative environment model for attention restoration in VR
• Designed a novel movement-based approach to mindfulness meditation
• Ran controlled behavioural experiments using attentional and mood outcome measures
• Translated findings into practical design principles for immersive products

Product & Design Efficacy

Grounded in 9+ years of deep engagement with cognitive psychology and neuroscience literature, I translated empirical findings into testable product hypotheses and measurable design experiments.

• VR-native cognitive assessments deployed in a virtual lab (8,000+ participants)
• Platform-scale behavioural analytics across 2.5M+ user sessions
• Custom mood, immersion and enjoyability outcome measures
• Session length, repeat usage and return frequency tracking
• Purchase behaviour and subscription likelihood analysis

Large-Scale Deployment & Evaluation

Led and supported deployment and evaluation of VR programmes across 21 organisations (soft skills training) and 33 schools (wellbeing and productivity initiatives).

• Designed measurement frameworks aligned to organisational and educational KPIs
• Collected quantitative and qualitative data across multiple stakeholder groups
• Assessed wellbeing, focus, stress reduction and engagement outcomes
• Presented findings as a keynote at the SCAP Conference (2023)

R&D Programme Leadership

Directed end-to-end research initiatives spanning experimental design, platform analytics and real-world deployment.

• Two multi-phase cognitive assessment studies validating VR-native attention measures
• Evaluation of AI-enabled smart glasses for context-aware walking meditation
• Design of a large-scale sleep induction study exploring immersive intervention strategies

These programmes ensured emerging technologies were validated through rigorous experimentation before scaling.

Behavioural Priming & Real-World Choice

Evaluated a VR experience immersing users in the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste, then conducted a controlled behavioural study to test whether exposure translated into real-world action. Immediately afterwards, participants chose between bottled and tap water (without being aware their decision was being measured) providing an objective outcome beyond intention-based surveys.

Results showed increased selection of tap water following exposure, demonstrating that immersive interventions can shape real-world decisions.