Note: All posted times are in PDT.
Day 1March 27, 2025
- 8:00 – 9:00 AMRegistration / Breakfast
Main Stage
Unlocking Healthcare’s Next Wave: MXR’s Real-World Applications
- Moderator: Brennan, Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
- 9:00 – 9:45 AM Lessons from the Frontlines: What Works (and What Doesn’t) in MXRBrennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
- 9:45 – 10:25 AM Healthcare 2040: The MXR-Powered Revolution That Healed the Planet and Its PeopleManeesh Juneja, Planetary Health Futurist, MJ Analytics Ltd
- 10:25 – 11:00 AMMorning break and exhibitor demos
Main Stage
XR Theater
Empathy in Action: Using XR to Dismantle Bias and Foster Understanding
- Moderator: Lindsey Ross, MD, MHDS, Cedars-Sinai
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11:00 – 11:20 AM
Reimagining Justice: VR and Cognitive Rehabilitation for Offender Reform Kaylarge Eloi, PhD, Ed.D, Harris-Stowe State University
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11:20 – 11:40 AM
Evaluating for Sociodemographic Bias in Conversational XR/AI for Mental Health SupportYee Hui Yeo, MD, Cedars-Sinai
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11:40 – 12:00 PM
Building Bridges: Virtual Reality Training for Cultural Competency, Empathy, and HumilityCharee Thompson, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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12:00 – 12:30 PM
Speaker Panel: Discussions on Empathy
Lindsey Ross, MD, MHDS, Cedars-Sinai
Kaylarge Eloi, PhD, Ed.D, Harris-Stowe State University
Yee Hui Yeo, MD, Cedars-Sinai
Charee Thompson, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
XR Theater
Beyond Boundaries: Multidisciplinary XR Innovations in Medicine
- Moderator: Min Lang, MD, MSc, Massachusetts General Hospital
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11:00 – 11:15 AM
Making Menopause Management a Virtual RealityStephanie S. Faubion, MD, MBA, FACP, MSCP, IF, Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s HealthKarisma Suchak, MD, MHDS, Cedars-Sinai
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11:15 – 11:30 AM
Gut Instinct: How VR Can Ease Gastrointestinal SymptomsChristopher Almario, MD, MSHPM, Cedars-Sinai
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11:30 – 11:45 AM
Virtual Reality Test Metrics Align with a Computational Model of Brain Decision-Making Processes Gary Wilkerson, EdD, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
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11:45 – 12:00 PM
Sustained reductions in CRPS symptoms using home based VR multi-treatment Hunter Hoffman, PhD, Director of the Virtual Reality Research Center at the Human Photonics Lab at the UW
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12:00 – 12:15 PM
Virtual Reality Treatments for the Dizzy Brain Edward Cho, MD, Cedars-Sinai
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12:15 – 12:30 PM
Exploring Embodied Virtual Reality for Chronic Pain Management Nancy Baker, ScD, MPH, OTR, FAOTA, Tufts University
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12:30 – 1:45 PM
Lunch (first floor patio)
Abstract poster session (adjacent to lunch on first floor)
Exhibitor demos (exhibitor hall)
Main Stage
XR Theater
Healing Beyond Boundaries: Exploring XR's Transformative Role in Mental Healthcare
- Moderator: Omer Liran, MD, MHDS, Cedars-Sinai
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1:45 – 2:10 PM
Mental Health and Immersive Tech Jessica Stone, PhD, Virtual Sandtray, LLC
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2:10 – 2:35 PM
Evaluating the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Tolerability of an Autonomous 8-Week CBT-VR Protocol in the Texas Wildland Firefighter PopulationMargot Paul, PhD, Stanford University
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2:35 – 3:00 PM
How Feasible and Acceptable is a Conversational AI Weight Coach? Robert Chernoff, PhD, JD Cedars-Sinai
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3:00 – 3:25 PM
Beyond Computational Behaviorism: Unraveling the Structure of Thought in Immersive Virtual Reality Travis Baker, PhD, Rutgers University
XR Theater
MXR Around the World
- Moderator: Harry van Goor, PhD, MD, Radboud UMC
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1:45 – 1:55 PM
Introduction To The Session, Hosted By The Cedars-Sinai International Team Benjamin Seo, MBA, Cedars-Sinai
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1:55 – 2:10 PM
The MXR World in Not Enough
Harry van Goor, MD, PhD, FRCS, Radboud University Medical Center -
2:10 – 2:25 PM
Title TBD
Edris Mahtab, MD, PhD, FESC, Leiden University Medical Center -
2:25 – 2:40 PM
Brain-Based Expedited Training in XR
Miriam Reiner, PhD, Israel Institute of Technology -
2:40 – 2:55 PM
Embodied VR and Psychedelics: A Potentially Synergistic Approach to Pain and Beyond
Jasmine Ho, MA, PhD, University of Zurich -
2:55 – 3:10 PM
Designing Remote Virtual Reality Interventions for Older Adults
Harmehr Sekhon, MSc, PhD, McGill University/St. Mary’s Research Center for Addictions and Mental Health -
3:10 – 3:25 PM
Virtual Reality Skills Training for Cardiothoracic Surgery: Experience From Training a Thousand Trainees
Samuel Max, BM BCh (Oxon), Leiden University Medical Center
- 3:25 – 3:45 PMExhibitor demos
Main Stage
XR Theater
Setting the Standard: A Comprehensive Review of the AMXRA Guidelines
- Moderator: Susan Persky, PhD, Director, Immersive Simulation Program; Head of Health Communication and Behavior Unit at NHGRI/NIH
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3:45 – 4:00 PM
What is MXR? A Taxonomy Defining the Breadth and Depth of an Evolving FieldBrennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
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4:00 – 4:15 PM
Safety in XRJulia A. Scott, PhD, Brain and Memory Care Lab at Santa Clara University
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4:15 – 4:30 PM
Clinical applications of XR in the perioperative setting: The lesser-known hero Renee El-Gabalawy, PhD, University of Manitoba
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4:30 – 4:45 PM
Guidelines for the Safe, Ethical, and Effective Design and Implementation of Virtual Human Agent Systems in Mental Healthcare Applications Rohan Jotwani, MD, MBA, Weill Cornell Medicine
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4:45 – 5:00 PM
Best Practices for Patient-Centered Engagement in Medical Extended RealityTom Norris, Patient Advocate
XR Theater
AMXRA Plenary Session 
- Moderator: Mark Zhang, DO, MMSc, FAMIA, Brigham and Women's Hospital
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3:45 – 4:00 PM
Development and Validation of Conversational Agents for Difficult Conversations in Medicine John Rubin, MD, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine
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4:00 – 4:15 PM
The Visual Pathology Report: A Novel Approach to Multidisciplinary Communication Michael Topf, MD, MSCI, Vanderbilt University
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4:15 – 4:30 PM
Simulated Psychedelic Immersive Experience: Healthcare Intervention for Depression (Si-PHI) Asher Marks, MD, Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics
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4:30 – 4:45 PM
VR integrated community-based physiotherapy for patients with chronic low back painSyl Slatman, MSc, HAN University of Applied Science
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4:45 – 5:00 PM
Augmented Intelligence in Medicine: Enhancing Clinical Decision Support with AR and AI Rayan Harari, PhD, MBA, Harvard Medical School
- 5:00 – 5:45 PMMeet the faculty, networking, exhibitor demos
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7:00 – 9:00 PM Cocktail Hour and VIP Networking Dinner
Day 2March 28, 2025
- 8:00 – 8:50 AMRegistration / Continental breakfast
Main Stage
XR Theater
Abstract Plenary Session: Top Research Winners Take the Stage
- Moderator: Rohan Jotwani, MD, Weil Cornell Medical Center
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8:50 – 8:55 AM
Welcome Back and Day #2 OverviewBrennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
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8:55 – 9:05 AM
Introducing The MDICSpeaker TBA
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9:05 – 9:20 AM
Title TBDAbstract Winner TBA
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9:20 – 9:35 AM
Title TBDAbstract Winner TBA
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9:40 – 9:55 AM
Title TBDAbstract Winner TBA
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9:55 – 10:25 AM
From Virtual Surgery to Reality: The Integration of XR in the ORRafael Grossmann, MD, MHDS, FACS, General, Trauma and Acute Care, Portsmouth Regional Hospital
Keynote Speaker
XR Theater
More Than Games: Use of MXR in Pediatric Populations
- Moderator: Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD, MBA, The Ohio State University
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9:05 – 9:25 AM
User feedback for adaptive exergaming mobile app with augmented reality to promote physical activity in children with Cerebral PalsyMelissa Bent, MD, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
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9:25 – 9:45 AM
Leveraging Donor Resources and Partner Relationships to Encourage the Use of Immersive Technology to Support Pediatric Patients Around the World Andre Bollaert, BA, Invincikids
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9:45 – 10:05 AM
Virtual Reality Pain Alleviation TherapeuticsHenry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD, MBA, The Ohio State University
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10:05 – 10:25 AM
Reimagining Pediatric Care: AI, Human-Centered Design, and XR for Patient- Centric Engagement and Surgical Innovation Patrick B Thomas, MD, MMCi, FACS, Children's Nebraska & UNMC College of Medicine
- 10:25 – 11:00 AMMorning break and exhibitor demos
Main Stage
XR Theater
Stories That Move Us: The Intersection of Narrative and Technology Across the Lifespan
- Moderator: Arash Naeim, MD, PhD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
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11:00 – 11:15 AM
Year of the Cicadas: A VR Experience Through Grief and Meaning MakingKimberly Hieftje, PhD, Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics
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11:15 – 11:30 AM
VR Game-Based Infection Prevention Education in the NICU Veronica Weser, PhD, Yale School of Medicine
Keynote Speaker
11:30 – 12:00 PM
VR and the Existential Crisis of Serious IllnessTeri Yarbrow, MS, MFA, MagikaVRx Kathleen DeLoach Benton, DrPH, MA, Hospice Savannah & Steward Center for Palliative Care
XR Theater
MXR Product Forum: New Advances in Hardware and Software Applications
(non-CME)
- Moderator: Muskaan Mehra, MS, Cedars-Sinai
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11:00 – 11:15 AM
1 Day for 1 New Training Course?!?!- Rapid App Development in XR Sean Ketterick, CEO of Health Scholars
Sponsored by Health Scholars
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11:15 – 11:30 AM
Title TBDAppliedVR
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11:30 AM – 11:45 AM
Title TBDSpeaker TBA
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11:45 AM – 12:00 PM
Title TBDSpeaker TBA
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12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch (first floor patio)
Exhibitor demos (exhibitor hall)
Deep Dive Sessions A-D concurrently run from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.
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Deep Dive A (XR Theater)
Building the Future: How to Establish and Sustain an MXR Research Team
Moderator: Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
Panelists:
Susan Persky, PhD, Health Communication and Behavior Unit at NHGRI/NIH
Renee El-Gabalawy, PhD, Health, Anxiety and Trauma Lab, University of Manitoba
Alexandre Dumais, MD, PhD, FRCPC, University of Montreal
Edris Mahtab, MD, PhD, FESC, Leiden University Medical Center -
Deep Dive B (Main Stage Left)
Scaling XR in Healthcare: Lessons from the Frontlines of Clinical Implementation
Moderator: Omer Liran, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
Panelists:
Anne Lord Bailey, PharmD, BCPS, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, Veterans Health Administration
Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBA, FACP, MSCP, IF, Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health
R. Jason Yong, MD MBA, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Christopher Robinson, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School -
Deep Dive C (Main Stage Right)
Mental Health Forum: Lessons Learned Using XR For Anxiety, Depression, and Chronic Pain
Moderator: Waguih IsHak, MD, FAPA, Cedars-Sinai
Panelists:
Jessica Stone, PhD, Virtual Sandtray, LLC
Margot Paul, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine
Rohan Jotwani, MD, Weil Cornell Medical Center
Kimberly Hieftje, PhD, Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics -
Deep Dive D (Main Stage Center)
The Patient Perspective: First-Person Experiences Using Therapeutic XR
Moderator: Karisma Suchak, MD, MHDS, Cedars-Sinai
Panelists:
Amanda Greene, Patient Advocate
ConStance Steele
Desiree Scott
Main Stage
Closing Session
- Moderator: Brennan, Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
- 2:35 – 2:55 PM Title TBDSusan Kirsch
- 2:55 – 3:20 PM A New Era of Experiential Medicine: The Role of Immersive TechnologiesAdam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, Neuroscape
- 3:20 – 3:40 PM Top 10 takeaways from vMed24Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-SinaiOmer Liran, MD, MHDS, Cedars-Sinai
- 3:40 PMAdjourn