Markus Santoso

Markus Santoso is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, affiliated with the Digital Worlds Institute and the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. from Dongseo University, South Korea, and has conducted postdoctoral research at Fraunhofer IDMT (Germany) and the LINDSAY Virtual Human Lab at the University of Calgary. His expertise lies in immersive technologies (VR/AR/Metaverse), clinical applications for neurological conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome), healthcare education, and blockchain integration with Web3 and AI.

Education:

• Ph.D., Dongseo University, South Korea (2013)
• Postdoctoral Fellowships: ERCIM (Europe), Eyes High (University of Calgary)

Research Interests:

• Development of AR/VR platforms for skill acquisition in healthcare (e.g., dental implant simulations, virtual standardized patients)
• Decentralized virtual experiences using blockchain (e.g., Algorand network integration)
• Human locomotion, balance, and social VR for online learning enhancement

Grants & Collaborations: Co-Principal Investigator at the UF Blockchain Lab, funded $2,079,861 by the Algorand Foundation. Collaborated with dental faculty on AR/VR applications and participated in the Algorand hackathon.

Labs/Teams: Leads the UF Blockchain Lab and contributes to interdisciplinary projects at the LINDSAY Virtual Human Lab (Calgary). Industry experience includes roles as Hololens Developer (Wellness Computation) and Head of Licensing/Gamification (Octagon Studio).