Farhad Dastur

Farhad Dastur is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Faculty of Arts. He holds a BSc from the University of British Columbia, and MSc and PhD in experimental psychology from Dalhousie University. As Principal Investigator of The Virtual Reality Lab, his work bridges Virtual Reality, Human Factors, and Evolutionary Psychology.

Education:

• BSc in Psychology, University of British Columbia
• MSc in Psychology, Dalhousie University
• PhD in Psychology, Dalhousie University

Dr. Dastur's research explores sensory perception, particularly during pregnancy, anxiety's role in pattern recognition, and cognitive ergonomics. He also champions Open Education, advocating for accessible learning resources and nature-based education. His 2014 TEDx talk on Mount Kilimanjaro's psychological insights and 2016 KPU Science World lecture on conspiracy psychology highlight his public engagement.

Scientific Contributions:

• 2006 NISOD Teaching Excellence Award
• 2018 Teaching Fellow in Experiential Learning
• 2008 Exemplary Leader Award

He mentors honours students and co-led KPU's Interdisciplinary Amazon Field School. His leadership roles include Dean of Arts (pro temp) and Chair of Psychology, where he drove initiatives like the Psychology faculty mentorship program and Canada's national undergraduate Connecting Minds research conference.

Labs & Teams:He founded and leads The Virtual Reality Lab at KPU, focusing on immersive technologies for psychological research and education.