Research Interests

• Developing new technologies and interaction design that may improve the lives of people who live with long-term chronic pain. 
• BioMedia, BioTechnologies
• Post-Phenomenological philosophies of experience
• Medical Visualization: visualization, visual analytics, immersive Virtual Reality

Graduate Teaching

Prof. Gromala has supervised or has been a member of over 70 MAs, MFAs, MScs, and PhD committees in departments ranging from the Design, Interactive Art, English, Film, and Communications to Computer Science and Engineering.

• BioAffective Computing (refer to PostDoctoral Fellows & Graduate Students at the bottom of this page)

Undergraduate Teaching

• Information Design & Speculative Design
• Interdisciplinary Art & Technology
• Regular guest lecturer in classes on Human-Computer Interaction, Animation and Special Effects, Virtual Environments and Visual Analytics.

External Evaluator and Consultant
For programs in Interactive Art, Design & New Media

• National Science Foundation (NSF), USA
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), USA
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
• University of Arizona
• University of Maryland
• University of Texas
• University of Washington
• Wanganui Polytechnic & University of Waikato, NZ

Prior Teaching Positions

• Oxford University, Worcester College
• Georgia Institute of Technology; School of Literature, Communication and Culture & GVU
• University of Washington, School of Communications & HITLab
• University of Texas, School of Fine Arts, School of Art & Art History

Research Grants

• CIHR
• SSHRC
• NSF (U.S.)
• Fulbright (U.S.)

Upcoming Talks & Exhibitions

Benjamin, A., Birnholtz, J., Baecker, R. & Gromala, D. “Impression Management Work: How Seniors With Chronic Pain Address Disruptions in Their Interactions,” ACM Computer-Supported Collaborative Work Conference (CSCW) February 2012, forthcoming.

Gromala, D. & Song, M., Zeffiro, A. Byte Me," SPIE: The Engineering Reality of Virtual Reality 2012, San Francisco, January 24, 2012. forthcoming.

Gromala, D., "Quixotica: Entangled Collaborations and the Quest for Understanding Chronic Pain," Design Media Arts, UCLA, Broad Art Center, 6:00pm. Los Angeles, January 17, 2012. http://dma.ucla.edu/events/calendar/ (Parking: structure 3). forthcoming.

Nazemi, M., Aziz, A., Gromala, D. “Mount Qaf,” A Multimedia Performance Installation, SIGGRAPH Asia, Art Gallery, Hong Kong, December 2011. forthcoming.

Gromala, D., et al., "Chronic Pain: Art & Science Collaborations," Exhibition of interactive work from the Transforming Pain Research Group. September through November 30th. Closing reception: November 30, 2011. UCLA CNSI Bldg. ArtSci Gallery, 5th Floor. forthcoming.

Gromala, D., Barnes, S. Song, M., Shaw, C., Fox, T. "A Technology for Persistent Pain" technical demonstration at Brain 2010: Transforming Health Care, Vancouver, December 2010. 

Recent Workshops

Baecker,R., Benjamin,A., Moffatt,K., Macaranas, E., Shihipar, T., Massimi, M., Ptak, D., David,J., Birnholtz,J., Gromala,D., Furlan,A., & Boscart,V. "Connecting physically and socially isolated individuals to their families," GROUP 2010.

National Science Foundation & National Endowment for the Arts, “Identifying Synergies and Fostering Collaborations: A Joint Workshop of the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts,” September, 2010

"Montreal Declaration," International Pain Summit, (IASP) International Association for the Study of Pain, Montreal, September, 2010

Recent Talks

Gromala, D. "The Curative Powers of Raw, Wet Beauty," TEDx: American Riviera, Academy of Music, Santa Barbara, CA. 11/11/11.

Gromala, D. "Utilizing Science, Technology and the Arts to Transform Pain," Webinar hosted by Pain BC, Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability (CIRPD), and UBC, October 19, 2011.

Gromala, D., "Beyond Pain," Canada Research Chair (CRC) Seminar Series, IRMACS 11:30am - 12:30pm, Room: ASB10900, Simon Fraser University, October 28, 2010.

Gromala, Diane., “Transforming Pain: Problem Domains” University of Toronto, School of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Group, August 10, 2010.

R E C E N T  .  P U B L I C A T I O N S :

Authored Book

Windows & Mirrors: Interaction Design, Digital Art and the Myth of Transparency (Leonardo Books), Jay Bolter & Diane Gromala, MIT Press, 2003. Translated into Korean (2008) & Japanese (2005).

Published Book Chapter

C. Shaw, D. Gromala and M. Song. (2010) “The Meditation Chamber: Towards Self-Modulation,” in Metaplasticity in Virtual Worlds: Aesthetics and Semantics Concepts. G. Mura, ed. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. (in press, forthcoming, November 2010).

2009-2010 Selected Publications
Refereed Journal Papers

Castellanos, C., Gromala. D. (2010). “The Symbiogenic Experience: Towards a Framework for Understanding Human–Machine Coupling in the Interactive Arts,” University of California, Irvine, December 2009.  Proceedings of the Digital Arts and Culture Conference, Technoetic Arts, 8:1, (7 pages). doi: 10.1386/tear.8.1.11/1

Peer-reviewed Conference Presentations with Proceedings

Nazemi, M., & Gromala, D. "Sound Design: Interactive Aesthetics for Managing Inner Physiological Landscapes," ACM SIGCHI Audio Mostly, University of Coimbra, Portugal, September 8, 2011.

Gromala, D., & Fox, T. "Metaplasticity & Inner Body Schemas: VR Pharmakon for Chronic Pain," ISEA 2011, Istanbul, August, 2011.

Benjamin, A., David, J., Baecker, R., Gromala, D., Birnholtz, J., Furlan, A., & Boscart,V. "Understanding and Reducing Isolation Due to Chronic Pain," FICCDAT 2011, Toronto.

David, J., Benjamin, A., Baecker, R., Gromala, D., Birnholtz, J. "Living with Pain, Staying in Touch: Exploring the Communication Needs of Older Adults with Chronic Pain," CHI 2011, (wip) Vancouver. 

Gromala, D., Barnes, S., Squire, P., Song, M. "A Virtual Reality Environment and Adjuvant for Managing Chronic Pain," Pain Week, Las Vegas, 2010.

Barnes, S., Gromala, D., Song, M., Shaw, C., & Squire, P. "Immersive Virtual Environments for the Management of Chronic vs. Acute Pain," MMVR: Medicine Meets VR, Newport Beach, CA, February 2011.

D. Gromala, C. Shaw & M. Song, “Chronic Pain and the Modulation of Self in Immersive Virtual Reality,” in Biologically-Inspired Cognitive Architectures II: Papers from the AAAI Symposium. (FS-09-01), Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org), Washington, D.C., 2009. 121-124.

M. Song, D. Gromala, C. Shaw & S. Barnes, “The Interplays Among Technology & Content, Immersant & Virtual Environments,” in the Proceedings of The Engineering Reality of Virtual Reality 2010, IS&T/SPIE, San Jose, CA., 68-73.

D. Gromala, C. Shaw & P. Squire, “Phenomenology of Immersive Virtual Environments for Chronic Pain Management,” 4th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices, Chicago, February 2010.

Press Coverage

Dr. Gromala's work has been featured on the Discovery Channel, the BBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Village Voice, Los Angeles Times, Discover magazine, the National Post and the Vancouver Sun, to name a few.

K. Sinoski, “Virtual Meditative 'Walk in Park' Aimed at Relieving Long-term Pain,”
Vancouver Sun, 13 October 2009, Health Section, http://www.vancouversun.com/health/
Virtual+meditative+walk+park+aimed+relieving+long+term+pain/2095569/story.html [accessed on 13 October 2009].

Canwest News Service, “A Walk in Virtual Reality Could Help Fight Chronic Pain,” Calgary Herald, 13 October 2009, Health Section, http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=fa18283f-9f2a-443c-8024-b6dfb517b06b [accessed on 13 October 2009].

K. Sinoski for Canwest News Service, “B.C. Researchers Develop Virtual Reality for Pain Sufferers,” Edmonton Journal, 13 October 2009, Health Section, http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/men/Talk+therapy+reduces+back+pain/2618248/researchers+develop+virtual+reality+pain+sufferers/2096098/story.html [accessed on 13 October 2009].

B. Kyllo, “Serious Games Aim at Raising the Big Issues,” Georgia Straight, 26 November 2009,
Technology Section, http://www.straight.com/article-272024/vancouver/serious-games-aim-raising-big-issues [accessed: 26 November 2009].

S. Proctor, “Pain Without End?” AQ Magazine, April 2010, Volume 11, Number 21, pp. 24-27. http://www.sfu.ca/aq/features/pain_without_end.html [Accessed: 10
May 2010].

PostDoctoral Fellows & Graduate Students

Dr. Gromala has supervised over 65 graduate students who earned a PhD, MSc, MFA, MA and MArch degrees. Many are now tenured professors themselves, or maintain leadership positions in industry (Virtually Better, Nokia, Phillips Research, Apple Computer, MicroSoft, IBM, Amazon, Museum of Modern Art, MTV, National Geographic, Razorfish). Those who earned Master's degrees subsequently pursued the PhD at Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and MIT, among others.

Current postdoctoral fellows and graduate students hold prior degrees in neuroscience, computer science, engineering, media, graphic & sound design and interactive art.

All graduates students receive funding as Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Assistants from NCE GRAND, CRC, SSHRC and NSERC grants; Teaching Assistanships and scholarships.

Applications are welcome from intrepid graduate students who have interests and expertise in pain or disability studies; visualization, VR/AR, 3D animation, stereoscopic and interactive video; design and health communications; neuroplasticity, biofeedback, embodiment, body schema; robotics, vibrotactility. Our cross-Canada Transforming Pain Research Group is not limited to a specific technology.

Other Website: www.siat.sfu.ca/~gromala