معرفی
Dr. Paul Best is an Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Technological Innovation in Mental Health and Education (TIME) at Queen's University Belfast (QUB). His research focuses on leveraging immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and 360° video to enhance therapeutic practices and healthcare professional training. He specializes in mental health conditions such as PTSD, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Depression, and has pioneered methods like Participatory Theme Elicitation for qualitative data analysis. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in improving mental health and well-being.
Recent research highlights include studies on clinician perspectives of immersive tools, community-based mental health interventions in Cambodia, and the efficacy of VR in social work education. He actively supervises PhD/MSc students in areas like digital mental health, dementia care, and school-based programs.
Key awards include the 2022 Marie Curie Research Conference Best Poster Prize and the 2021 AHSS Digital Innovation Award. He contributes to journals like BMC Health Services Research and collaborates internationally on projects such as the Virtual Intelligent Training and Adaptive Learning (VITAL) initiative.
Paul is involved in policy impacts like adapting digital social prescribing for suicide bereavement support and co-leads the TIME Centre's lab developing immersive technologies for mental health. He frequently presents at conferences and media platforms, discussing topics like VR in therapy and the digital evolution of social work.
