Research groups
Syed Ibrahim Ghaznavi
MSc, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Virtual & Augmented Reality Systems, Human Computer Interaction, Networks, ICTD
I am a postdoctoral researcher at the O-CAP where I, in collaboration with a team of clinicians, investigate latest virtual reality based techniques for treating young mental health patients.
In the past, I have worked on building an immersive virtual reality platform for the Self-attachment therapy (SAT) to treat patients with symptoms of chronic anxiety and depression. SAT protocols require that the user role plays as an adult and interacts compassionately with their childhood self to enhance their capacities for self-regulation of emotions. The immersive virtual reality platform for SAT, consisting of both a high-end version (based on Facebook’s Oculus) and the low-end version (based on Google’s cardboard), enabled the users to interact with their customized photorealistic childhood avatar in virtual reality.
I also visited the MIT Media Lab during Spring 2020 where I built an immersive virtual reality platform to enable Astronaut’s physical and mental wellness. I also built the Rescue Base Station (RBS) - a customized cellular network which can reinstate GSM cellular services in catastrophe struck areas - which received widespread international media coverage.
key publications
Photorealistic avatars to enhance the efficacy of Self-attachment psychotherapy
Ghaznavi. et al, (2020), AIVR 2020
Usability Evaluation of an Immersive Virtual Reality Platform for Self-attachment Psychotherapy
Ghaznavi. et al, (2019), CMH 2019
An Immersive Virtual Reality Mobile Platform for Self-Attachment
Ghaznavi. et al, (2017), AISB 2017
VillageApps: A Platform to Educate Underprivileged Communities in their Mother Tongue
Ghaznavi. et al, (2015), ICTD 2015
Ghaznavi. et al, (2014), ACMDEV 2014