Using Virtual Reality in Cancer Research and Education

Why Virtual Reality is the Future for Columbia Cancer Research

Simon Tavaré, Director of the Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics and Professor of Statistics and Biological Sciences, is establishing a Virtual Reality lab to visualize tumors in 3D. Simon is a member of the IMAXT team, an initiative supported by Cancer Grand Challenges (funded by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute) that connects more than 90 investigators across 5 countries. One goal of the IMAXT VR project is "to allow multiple investigators to immerse themselves simultaneously in the same tumor, providing a novel way to identify molecular features of the tumor," Simon explains. This way, they can study where the cell types are in a tumor sample and develop a more detailed picture of how these cells interact at the molecular level. 

Watch the video here (via Columbia YouTube).

Teaching with Virtual Reality

Through a collaboration with the Provost’s Science of Learning Research initiative, the School of Professional Studies, Columbia University Libraries, and CU Information Technology, Brent Stockwell, Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and IICD Associate Member, discusses developing a biochemistry course in virtual reality to offer students with an immersive learning experience.

Watch the video here (via Columbia YouTube).