The Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics
The Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics focuses on the use of Immersive technology (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) and game technology in applications, interventions, and research with the goal of improving lives and reducing disparities among youth and their families. Our mission is to provide effective and safe immersive applications for youth, with a particular focus on those at risk for experiencing health disparities associated with race/ethnicity, age, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, and disabilities.
XRPeds Lab
Housed within the Yale Center for Immersive Technology, the XRPeds lab brings together over 13 years of experience developing, evaluating, and implementing immersive technology and game-based interventions and clinical applications with youth.
See our Projects
Visit XRPeds.org to learn more about our research and to see a full list of current projects.
Leadership
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics); Co-Director, XR Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, General Pediatrics; Co-Director/Co-Founder, Pediatrics
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology); Director, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
Collaborators
Professor of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine) and of Emergency Medicine; Executive Team Member, Co-lead Knowledge Management, Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center; Director, Pediatric Simulation, Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation, Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation; Co-director of Education, Yale Site Lead, Pediatric Pandemic Network, https://pedspandemicnetwork.org/
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine; Associate Director of Pediatric Programs, Yale Program in Addiction Medicine; Associate Professor on Term, Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Founding Director of Youth4Wellness at Yale, General Internal Medicine
Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Disease); Associate Chair for Quality & Safety, Pediatrics; Associate Medical Director , Infection Prevention ; Affiliated Faculty , Yale Institute for Global Health
Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences); Director, The SASH Lab, Yale School of Public Health; Co-Director of Yale AIDS Prevention Training Program (T32), Yale School of Public Health; Associate Director, Justice, Community Capacity, Equity (JuCCE) Core, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology)
- Andrew Schartmann
Assistant Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Student Collaborators
Alumni
- Joshua Rigsby
Publications
- Barriers to Effective Infection Prevention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.Weser VU, Crocker A, Murray TS, Wright J, Truesdell EJK, Ciaburri R, Marks AM, Martinello RA, Hieftje KD. Adv Neonatal Care. 2024 Oct 1; 2024 Aug 27. PMID: 39196970.
- Virtual Reality in Medical Education.Buono FD, Marks A, Lee D. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2024 Jun; 2024 Jun 6. PMID: 38841871.
- Perspectives of Adolescents and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease and Clinicians on Improving Transition Readiness With a Video Game Intervention.Aronson PL, Nolan SA, Schaeffer P, Hieftje KD, Ponce KA, Calhoun CL. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2024 Mar 1; 2024 Jan 15. PMID: 38237001.
- The importance of escalating molecular diagnostics in patients with low-grade pediatric brain cancer.Al Assaad M, Gundem G, Liechty B, Sboner A, Medina J, Papaemmanuil E, Sternberg CN, Marks A, Souweidane MM, Greenfield JP, Tran I, Snuderl M, Elemento O, Imielinski M, Pisapia DJ, Mosquera JM. Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud. 2023 Dec; 2024 Jan 10. PMID: 37652664.
- Player 2 Has Entered the Game: Extended Reality and Games for Health.Hieftje K, Marks A. Games Health J. 2023 Dec. PMID: 38048478.
- Use of Immersive Virtual Reality Spaces to Engage Adolescent and Young Adult Patients With Cancer in Therapist-Guided Support Groups: Protocol for a Pre-Post Study.Marks A, Garbatini A, Hieftje K, Puthenpura V, Weser V, Fernandes CF. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Nov 9; 2023 Nov 9. PMID: 37943596.
- Loss to follow-up of minorities, adolescents, and young adults on clinical trials: A report from the Children's Oncology Group.Puthenpura V, Ji L, Xu X, Roth ME, Freyer DR, Frazier AL, Marks AM, Pashankar FD. Cancer. 2023 May 15; 2023 Feb 22. PMID: 36813754.
- Personality Changes and Staring Spells in a 12-Year-Old Child: A Case Report Incorporating ChatGPT, a Natural Language Processing Tool Driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI).Puthenpura V, Nadkarni S, DiLuna M, Hieftje K, Marks A. Cureus. 2023 Mar; 2023 Mar 20. PMID: 37090271.
- A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Cognitive Behavioral Videogame Intervention: empowerED.Fernandes CF, Deng Y, Tran AH, Hieftje KD, Boomer TMP, Taylor CK, Fiellin LE. Games Health J. 2023 Feb; 2022 Nov 8. PMID: 36350349.
- Pilot-testing a Multiplayer HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Video Game Intervention for Black Adolescent Girls: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Weser V, Opara I, Budge M, Duncan L, Fernandes CF, Hussett-Richardson S, Sands B, Hieftje K. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Jan 23; 2023 Jan 23. PMID: 36689272.
- Black Adolescent Females' Perceptions of PrEP for HIV Risk Reduction.Budge M, Opara I, Weser VU, Sands BE, Hieftje KD. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2023 Jan-Dec. PMID: 37853731.
- Work readiness and barriers to employment during COVID-19 for individuals with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).Buono FD, Polonsky M, Marks A, Larkin K, Sprong ME. Work. 2023. PMID: 37355921.
- Spectrum of qualitative and quantitative imaging of pilomyxoid, intermediate pilomyxoid and pilocytic astrocytomas in relation to their genetic alterations.Fadel SA, von Reppert M, Kazarian E, Omay EZE, Marks A, Linder N, Hoffmann KT, Darbinyan A, Huttner A, Aboian MS. Neuroradiology. 2023 Jan; 2022 Aug 19. PMID: 35984480.
- Disinfection of Virtual Reality Devices in Health Care Settings: In Vitro Assessment and Survey Study.Roberts SC, Havill NL, Flores RM, Hendrix Ii CA, Williams MJ, Feinn RS, Choi SJ, Martinello RA, Marks AM, Murray TS. J Med Internet Res. 2022 Dec 1; 2022 Dec 1. PMID: 36269222.
- Feeling Invisible and Unheard: A Qualitative Exploration of Gendered-Racist Stereotypes Influence on Sexual Decision Making and Mistreatment of Black Teen Girls.Opara I, Weser V, Sands B, Fernandes CF, Hussett-Richardson S, Hieftje K. Youth Soc. 2022 May; 2022 Feb 15. PMID: 35812173.
- How a Korean Boy Band Saved My Daughter.Hieftje KD. J Adolesc Health. 2022 Apr 11; 2022 Apr 11. PMID: 35422362.
- Radiation Necrosis with Proton Therapy in a Patient with Aarskog-Scott Syndrome and Medulloblastoma.Puthenpura V, DeNunzio NJ, Zeng X, Giantsoudi D, Aboian M, Ebb D, Kahle KT, Yock TI, Marks AM. Int J Part Ther. 2022 Winter; 2021 Jul 29. PMID: 35127977.
- Evaluation of a virtual reality E-cigarette prevention game for adolescents.Weser VU, Duncan LR, Sands BE, Schartmann A, Jacobo S, François B, Hieftje KD. Addict Behav. 2021 Nov; 2021 Jun 23. PMID: 34225030.
- Feasibility of a Web-Accessible Game-Based Intervention Aimed at Improving Help Seeking and Coping Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial.Egan JE, Corey SL, Henderson ER, Abebe KZ, Louth-Marquez W, Espelage D, Hunter SC, DeLucas M, Miller E, Morrill BA, Hieftje K, Sang JM, Friedman MS, Coulter RWS. J Adolesc Health. 2021 Oct; 2021 Jun 16. PMID: 34140199.
- Expertise in Tool Use Promotes Tool Embodiment.Weser VU, Proffitt DR. Top Cogn Sci. 2021 Oct; 2021 Jun 3. PMID: 34080797.
- Author Correction: Topographic correlates of driver mutations and endogenous gene expression in pediatric diffuse midline gliomas and hemispheric high-grade gliomas.Kazarian E, Marks A, Cui J, Darbinyan A, Tong E, Mueller S, Cha S, Aboian MS. Sci Rep. 2021 Aug 11; 2021 Aug 11. PMID: 34381151.
- Topographic correlates of driver mutations and endogenous gene expression in pediatric diffuse midline gliomas and hemispheric high-grade gliomas.Kazarian E, Marks A, Cui J, Darbinyan A, Tong E, Mueller S, Cha S, Aboian MS. Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 13; 2021 Jul 13. PMID: 34257334.
- How Black Teen Girls Navigate Social Media to Form Romantic Relationships.Weser VU, Opara I, Sands BE, Fernandes CF, Hieftje KD. Soc Media Soc. 2021 Jul 1; 2021 Jul 24. PMID: 34858631.
- Racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic survival disparities in adolescents and young adults with primary central nervous system tumors.Puthenpura V, Canavan ME, Poynter JN, Roth M, Pashankar FD, Jones BA, Marks AM. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 Jul; 2021 Mar 11. PMID: 33704901.
- Clinical Application of Digital Technologies in Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Supportive Care.Puthenpura V, Marks AM. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2021 Apr; 2020 Dec 9. PMID: 33296259.
- G4HJ: Moving Forward in 2021.Hieftje K. Games Health J. 2021 Feb; 2021 Jan 20. PMID: 33471589.
- Dual activating FGFR1 mutations in pediatric pilomyxoid astrocytoma.Fomchenko EI, Reeves BC, Sullivan W, Marks AM, Huttner A, Kahle KT, Erson-Omay EZ. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2021 Feb; 2021 Jan 14. PMID: 33448156.
- A quasi-experimental test of a virtual reality game prototype for adolescent E-Cigarette prevention.Weser VU, Duncan LR, Pendergrass TM, Fernandes CS, Fiellin LE, Hieftje KD. Addict Behav. 2021 Jan; 2020 Sep 2. PMID: 32920455.
- Effectiveness of a web-based tobacco product use prevention videogame intervention on young adolescents' beliefs and knowledge.Hieftje KD, Fernandes CF, Lin IH, Fiellin LE. Subst Abus. 2021; 2019 Dec 11. PMID: 31825759.
- Videogame intervention to encourage HIV testing and counseling among adolescents.Pendergrass T, Hieftje K, Duncan L, Fiellin L. Mhealth. 2020; 2020 Jul 5. PMID: 32632364.
- Persistent STAG2 mutation despite multimodal therapy in recurrent pediatric glioblastoma.Hong CS, Vasquez JC, Kundishora AJ, Elsamadicy AA, Beckta JM, Sule A, Marks AM, Leelatian N, Huttner A, Bindra RS, DiLuna ML, Kahle KT, Erson-Omay EZ. NPJ Genom Med. 2020; 2020 Jun 1. PMID: 32528726.
- Genomic alterations underlying spinal metastases in pediatric H3K27M-mutant pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation: case report.Fomchenko EI, Erson-Omay EZ, Kundishora AJ, Hong CS, Daniel AA, Allocco A, Duy PQ, Darbinyan A, Marks AM, DiLuna ML, Kahle KT, Huttner A. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2020 Feb 1; 2019 Oct 25. PMID: 31653819.
- Choosing efficient actions: Deciding where to walk.Linkenauger SA, Weser V, Proffitt DR. PLoS One. 2019; 2019 Sep 26. PMID: 31557187.
- One Night Stan: Feasibility Study of an HIV Prevention and Sexual Risk Reduction Social Card Game for Young Black Women.Hieftje K, Duncan L, Florsheim O, Sawyer B, Fiellin LE. Games Health J. 2019 Apr. PMID: 30964717.
- A videogame intervention for tobacco product use prevention in adolescents.Pentz MA, Hieftje KD, Pendergrass TM, Brito SA, Liu M, Arora T, Tindle HA, Krishnan-Sarin S, Fiellin LE. Addict Behav. 2019 Apr; 2018 Nov 14. PMID: 30477819.
- Pilot Testing the Feasibility of a Game Intervention Aimed at Improving Help Seeking and Coping Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Coulter RW, Sang JM, Louth-Marquez W, Henderson ER, Espelage D, Hunter SC, DeLucas M, Abebe KZ, Miller E, Morrill BA, Hieftje K, Friedman MS, Egan JE. JMIR Res Protoc. 2019 Feb 15; 2019 Feb 15. PMID: 30767903.
- Tool Embodiment: The Tool's Output Must Match the User's Input.Weser V, Proffitt DR. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018; 2019 Jan 11. PMID: 30687050.
- Development and Feasibility Testing of a Videogame Intervention to Reduce High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Black and Hispanic Adolescents.Gariepy AM, Hieftje K, Pendergrass T, Miller E, Dziura JD, Fiellin LE. Games Health J. 2018 Dec; 2018 Oct 6. PMID: 30299980.
- Low-Grade Astrocytoma within a Mature Cystic Teratoma in an Adolescent Patient.Yoder N, Marks A, Hui P, Litkouhi B, Cron J. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2018 Jun; 2017 Oct 26. PMID: 29107097.
- Response to the BRAF/MEK inhibitors dabrafenib/trametinib in an adolescent with a BRAF V600E mutated anaplastic ganglioglioma intolerant to vemurafenib.Marks AM, Bindra RS, DiLuna ML, Huttner A, Jairam V, Kahle KT, Kieran MW. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 May; 2018 Jan 30. PMID: 29380516.
- The coexistence of lupus erythematosus panniculitis and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma in the same patient.Wu X, Subtil A, Craiglow B, Watsky K, Marks A, Ko C. JAAD Case Rep. 2018 Mar; 2018 Feb 4. PMID: 29892661.
- Preliminary investigation of a videogame prototype for cigarette and marijuana prevention in adolescents.Duncan LR, Hieftje KD, Pendergrass TM, Sawyer BG, Fiellin LE. Subst Abus. 2018; 2018 Mar 13. PMID: 29425481.
- Multisensory integration induces body ownership of a handtool, but not any handtool.Weser V, Finotti G, Costantini M, Proffitt DR. Conscious Cogn. 2017 Nov; 2017 Jul 16. PMID: 28720401.
- Video Game Intervention for Sexual Risk Reduction in Minority Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial.Fiellin LE, Hieftje KD, Pendergrass TM, Kyriakides TC, Duncan LR, Dziura JD, Sawyer BG, Mayes L, Crusto CA, Forsyth BW, Fiellin DA. J Med Internet Res. 2017 Sep 18; 2017 Sep 18. PMID: 28923788.
- SOX2 immunity and tissue resident memory in children and young adults with glioma.Vasquez JC, Huttner A, Zhang L, Marks A, Chan A, Baehring JM, Kahle KT, Dhodapkar KM. J Neurooncol. 2017 Aug; 2017 Jun 15. PMID: 28620836.
- Postoperative Radiotherapy Patterns of Care and Survival Implications for Medulloblastoma in Young Children.Kann BH, Park HS, Lester-Coll NH, Yeboa DN, Benitez V, Khan AJ, Bindra RS, Marks AM, Roberts KB. JAMA Oncol. 2016 Dec 1. PMID: 27491009.
- Primary spinal myxopapillary ependymoma in the pediatric population: a study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.Lucchesi KM, Grant R, Kahle KT, Marks AM, DiLuna ML. J Neurooncol. 2016 Oct; 2016 Jul 16. PMID: 27423644.
- If We Build It, Will They Come? A Qualitative Study of Key Stakeholder Opinions on the Implementation of a Videogame Intervention for Risk Reduction in Adolescents.Pendergrass TM, Hieftje K, Crusto CA, Montanaro E, Fiellin LE. Games Health J. 2016 Aug; 2016 Jun 23. PMID: 27336205.
- The design and implementation of a randomized controlled trial of a risk reduction and human immunodeficiency virus prevention videogame intervention in minority adolescents: PlayForward: Elm City Stories.Fiellin LE, Kyriakides TC, Hieftje KD, Pendergrass TM, Duncan LR, Dziura JD, Sawyer BG, Fiellin DA. Clin Trials. 2016 Aug; 2016 Mar 24. PMID: 27013483.
- Progress in Early Childhood Caries and Opportunities in Research, Policy, and Clinical Management.Garcia R, Borrelli B, Dhar V, Douglass J, Gomez FR, Hieftje K, Horowitz A, Li Y, Ng MW, Twetman S, Tinanoff N. Pediatr Dent. 2015 May-Jun. PMID: 26063559.
- Serious Games for Sexual Health.Shegog R, Brown K, Bull S, Christensen JL, Hieftje K, Jozkowski KN, Ybarra ML. Games Health J. 2015 Apr; 2015 Jan 13. PMID: 26181800.
- Videogames, here for good.Fiellin LE, Hieftje KD, Duncan LR. Pediatrics. 2014 Nov; 2014 Oct 6. PMID: 25287452.
- Novel methods to collect meaningful data from adolescents for the development of health interventions.Hieftje K, Duncan LR, Fiellin LE. Health Promot Pract. 2014 Sep; 2014 Feb 11. PMID: 24519998.
- The use of message framing to promote sexual risk reduction in young adolescents: a pilot exploratory study.Camenga DR, Hieftje KD, Fiellin LE, Edelman EJ, Rosenthal MS, Duncan LR. Health Educ Res. 2014 Apr; 2014 Jan 21. PMID: 24452229.
- Game playbooks: tools to guide multidisciplinary teams in developing videogame-based behavior change interventions.Duncan LR, Hieftje KD, Culyba S, Fiellin LE. Transl Behav Med. 2014 Mar. PMID: 24653781.
- Electronic media-based health interventions promoting behavior change in youth: a systematic review.Hieftje K, Edelman EJ, Camenga DR, Fiellin LE. JAMA Pediatr. 2013 Jun. PMID: 23568703.
- A qualitative study to inform the development of a video game for adolescent HIV prevention.Hieftje K, Rosenthal MS, Camenga DR, Edelman EJ, Fiellin LE. Games Health J. 2012 Aug 10. PMID: 24078897.