Advisors
Dr. Suleman Shahid, Ph.D. from Tilburg University and PDEng from Eindhoven University of Technology.
Contact : suleman.shahid@lums.edu.pk
Dr. Ali Jawaid, M.D. from University of Zurich, MD-Ph.D. from Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH)
Head, Laboratory for Translational Research in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TREND),
Nencki-EMBL BRAINCITY Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA
Contact : a.jawaid@nencki.edu.pl
Collaborators
Ibrahim Iftikhar, 23020434@lums.edu.pk
Ahsan Sarwar, 23100094@lums.edu.pk
Project Overview
Due to my interest in Mental health, health tech, and assistive technology, I opted to work on Mental Health improvement in my senior year by making peaceful environments in virtual reality that provide meditation and soothing effects using different activities such as breathing exercises. I studied literature to understand the effects of VR immersiveness and breathing exercises in such environments and researched the existing solutions for well-being. With the help of the literature review, I found many factors that needed to be taken into account, such as the direction of light, sound effects, reflections, and shadows that calm the human mind. Then I developed a waterfall and a beach environment in Unity3D and made them immersive and interactable in Virtual Reality.
A study is being conducted at CHISEL, and neuro-sensors and ECG sensors are used to test the study's outcome. These sensors and readings helped me to gauge the mental health and stress levels of the human mind and body. This ongoing experience has given me the confidence and ability to tackle new challenges, even with the technology and tools that are not commonly used, and improved my ability to review literature efficiently and concisely, a skill that will prove immensely valuable for any future research.