Dr. Bernie Garrett, Dr. Tarnia Taverner of UBC School of Nursing and Dr. Diane Gromala of the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, SFU have been successful in obtaining a grant of $487,296 to explore the use of virtual reality (VR) as an adjunctive pain relieving therapy in cancer survivors.

This generous funding by a lock charitable foundation will allow the further exploration of the use of VR therapeutics as explored in Dr Garrett and Taverners pilot case series in 2015-16.

This project will commence in July 2016 through to 2019, and will recruit 100 cancer survivors with chronic pain, to trial the use of VR in their own homes to help manage their pain. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies will also be undertaken to explore neurological activity with VR as a part of the project.

Contact Bernie Garrett for further details.

May 20th, 2016