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I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and the Game Design program of the College of Arts, Media and Design and in the Department of Public Health & Health Sciences of the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University.

I direct the Health Technology Lab and advise students across the Department of Communication Studies, the Game Design program, and the Department of Public Health & Health Sciences.

I serve as Editor-in-Chief of JMIR Serious Games (Impact Factor: 4.1), a leading journal in serious games research. In this role, I advance rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of gaming technologies and real-world impact.

I am the founder and faculty lead of Northeastern University NIH Grant Rounds, a monthly workshop that fosters a collaborative environment for faculty to strengthen their NIH Specific Aims pages through structured peer review, shared strategies, and collective momentum.

I study psychological, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms through which interactive digital health technologies, such as games, eXtended reality (XR), and mobile applications, shape human cognition and behavior, with a particular focus on how narratives, mediated characters, and immersive design can be systematically integrated to support sustained engagement and behavior change. I employ rigorous experimental designs alongside objective physiological and behavioral measures, as well as qualitative inquiry in real-world settings, a combination that positions me at the forefront of theory-driven empirical digital health research.

My research program investigates three sub-topics:

NARRATIVES AS BEHAVIORAL MOTIVATORS
One of the oldest and still most pervasive forms of communication, narrativess are an especially powerful tool to communicate about health and change behavior. As a media scientist, I am among the first to establish a program of research on narrative-driven behavior change by studying the psychological and behavioral impacts of narratives on physical activity and cognitive function through interactive digital technologies, ranging from active video games to XR. My work demonstrates that integrating narrative into game design can significantly enhance engagement and health behaviors, with effects mediated by narrative immersion. I plan to extend this research across a broader developmental spectrum and additional media platforms while integrating further theoretical perspectives on game design. [Publication Keywords - Narrative / RCT / Media Effects / Physical Activity / Exercise Physiology / ...]

MEDIATED CHARACTERS AND PLOTS AS PERSUADERS
My work on mediated characters and plots complements my narrative research by examining how these elements shape immersion, engagement, and behavior in interactive systems. My fascination with this area originated in my childhood interest in anime, or Japanese animation, which blends diverse international visual and cultural elements. Having published highly recognized theoretical work on cultural hybridity and internationalization in anime, I have continued to explore this phenomenon from an empirical perspective. I introduced the concept of Own Race Projection (ORP) to explain how users perceive racially ambiguous characters, and have shown that character features (e.g., ambiguity, body congruence) and plot structures (e.g., continuous vs. episodic) significantly influence user experience, engagement, and motivation. Collectively, this line of research provides empirical guidance for designing more inclusive, engaging, and effective game and immersive environments. [Publication Keywords - Avatar/Character / Perception / Animation / Anime / Persuasion / ...]

NEUROBEHAVIORAL EFFECTS AND SYNTHESIS OF DIGITAL MEDIA USE
I have been working in the area of games for health by designing, deploying, and evaluating video games, XR, mobile applications, and other interactive programs for various types of prevention and intervention research, employing rigorous experimental and longitudinal designs as well as qualitative methods. Throughout this process, I have contributed to advancing best practices for physical activity measurement in digital intervention research. Beyond individual intervention projects, I have led multiple systematic and meta-analytic studies on games, simulations, apps, and XR to identify effective features and translatable lessons. I believe that in order to create more effective digital interventions that leverage state-of-the-art technologies, researchers should engage in productive collaboration with industry partners. [Publication Keywords - Games for Health / Active Games / Virtual Reality / Systematic Review / Meta-Analysis / ...]

Announcements
+ As a communication and behavior scientist, I'm looking for collaborators who'd like to explore technology-based health promotion via video games, electronic devices, and interactive applications among various populations. Drop me a line if you're interested!
           
+ We are hiring 2 RAs for an on-going project. Please check out R135473 Research Assistant in Workday.