Humantech Meetings: Virtual Reality (VR) in Psychological Practice

Jakub Kreft – is a cofounder and CEO of Unicorn VR World. He is also a computer programmer specializing in VR and mobile applications. Jakub developed three innovative mobile applications for the “Social Innovations” program and created Puzzle Kariery (Career Puzzle), the first mobile application for career planning in Poland. As a member of the Warsaw University of Technology’s Racing Team Research Club, he developed an autonomous racing robot. Jakub also coordinated Robomaticon 2017, the largest robot competition in Poland. He is the Chair of the Automatic Control and Robotics Research Club at the Warsaw University of Technology and was a speaker at the 2017 TEDxWarsaw conference. He participated in the PFR School of Pioneers, an international educational program supporting future tech entrepreneurs and visionaries, where his project, Unicorn VR World, won the main prize at the 2020 PFR School of Pioneers Gala. More information at www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-kreft-5a48b641.

Wojciech Kreft – is a cofounder and COO at Unicorn VR World. He is also a psychologist, career consultant, coach, e-coach, and a university lecturer at the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw (currently teaching classes in “E-therapy: application of ICT in psychological therapy”). Wojciech is an innovator who applies new digital technologies to the development of personal development tools. In this role, he has developed numerous innovative tools and computer programs for career advising and education. He is an initiator of the innovative network of Mobile Centers for Job Information (OHP) and School Career Centers (SzOK). Furthermore, he is a member of the European Commission Expert Group on Lifelong Guidance. Wojciech authored many reports and analysis papers on career counselling and the job market for institutions such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank, and the European Commission. More information at: Digital CV - http://bit.ly/wojtek14 and www.linkedin.com/in/wkreft.

Prof. Skip Rizzo – is a clinical psychologist and Director of Medical VR at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies. He is also a Research Professor with the USC Dept. of Psychiatry and School of Gerontology. Over the last 25 years, Skip has conducted research on the design, development and evaluation of Virtual Reality systems targeting the areas of clinical assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation across the domains of psychological, cognitive and motor functioning in both healthy and clinical populations. This work has focused on PTSD, TBI, Autism, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and other clinical conditions. In spite of the diversity of these clinical R&D areas, the common thread that drives all of his work with digital technologies involves the study of how Virtual Reality simulations can be usefully applied to human healthcare beyond what’s possible with traditional 20th Century methods. To view some videos on his work, go to: https://www.youtube.com/user/albertskiprizzo

Ewelina Smoktunowicz, Ph.D. – is an occupational health psychologist that specializes in implementing technology in psychological practice. She is the leader of StressLab: Stress Research Centre at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Her work focuses primarily on developing, verifying and implementing internet interventions that aim to improve mental health at work. She led the team that created internet programs Med-Stress and Med-Stress SOS, both dedicated to medical professionals. She also co-created a VR-based intervention aimed at reducing fear of heights. Ewelina obtained her doctoral degree from SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities and completed a postdoctoral scholarship at Stockholm University.

Iwona Pomianowska, Ph.D. – is an information and audiovisual designer, a lecturer at the Warsaw University (Psychology Department) and at The Schiller National Film School (Postproduction & New Media). As a member of the museum advisory committee (M Museum Leuven) she combines the domains of empirical psychology and media design by scrutinizing the issues of human cognition, visual perception (PhD, the School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin) and the information design (LUCA School of Arts, Brussels).

Elżbieta Włodarska – is Vice-President of BioMinds Healthcare, psychologist, and neuropsychologist. She has 16 years of clinical experience in working with adults, who suffered a brain damage. She specializes in diagnosis of dementia syndromes as well as neuropsychological therapy of cognitive functions in post craniocerebral injuries and stroke patients, who are in a minimal conscious state. Elżbieta is also a co-founder and coordinator of Origin MemoryCare and Origin NeuroCare, therapeutic programs for people with diminished cognitive and motor functions, allowing the patients to stay active and independent as long as possible. She is a member of the Polish Alzheimer Society and the Polish Neurological Society.

Konrad Maj, Ph.D. – Social psychologist, Head of the HumanTech Meetings project, initiator and Head of the HumanTech Center for Social and Technological Innovations. In his research and teaching he focuses on social influence, media psychology and innovations. Recently, he has been working on a Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI) project. From 2013 to 2016 he held the post of Rector’s Representative for Research, focusing on practical application of research results and social innovations. He visited numerous innovation centers, including the Institute for Social Innovation (ISI) at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, the ID+ Research Institute for Design, Media and Culture at the University of Averio, Portugal, and Design Factory at Aalto University, in Finland.