Lora Appel, PhD
Prescribing VRx Lab, York University
Dr. Lora
Appel is an Assistant Professor of Health Informatics at the Faculty of Health
at York University, Toronto, Canada. She is Adjunct Researcher at Michael
Garron Hospital and a Collaborating Scientist at University Health Network, the
largest medical research organization in Canada. Lora
heads the Prescribing Virtual Reality (VRx) lab which designs and conducts studies that introduce and evaluate
AR/VR/MR therapeutic interventions for patients, caregivers, and healthcare
providers in different settings, ranging from acute-care hospitals, long-term
care homes, to community centres and private residences. She received several
grants from the Centre for Aging in Brain Health innovation to pursue this work
in aging and dementia care. More recently her research has expanded into novel
uses of VR for other patient populations and clinical conditions, such as those
living with epilepsy, specialized dentistry with stroke patients and low-vision
therapy for pediatric oncology patients and seniors with AMD. Dr. Appel has published in premier
journals like the American Journal of Medicine, the International Journal of
Medical Informatics, and Frontiers in Medicine, she has given talks at Harvard
medical school and the Royal College of Physicians in London, and her work with
VR has resulted in several national media appearances. Lora is very enthusiastic about
creating technological interventions that are preventative, holistic, and
tailored to the individual, with a special focus on sensory-health.