NSERC Engage Grant: Multimodal Stress Assessment for Pediatric VR

Dr. Naimul Khan has been awarded a $25,000 NSERC Engage grant in partnership with Shaftesbury VR.

The project will develop a multimodal stress assessment algorithm to be integrated into Shaftesbury’s Positive Distraction Entertainment System — a platform designed to dynamically adapt VR game content to reduce anxiety in children preparing for medical procedures. By fusing physiological and behavioural signals, the system aims to provide a non-pharmacological approach to pre-procedural anxiety reduction.