Dr. John McGowan is a Lecturer at the School of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment , Edinburgh Napier University. His work bridges Music Therapy , Interaction Design , and Assistive Technologies for autistic individuals. Research Focus: Development of the CymaSense application—a real-time 3D audio-visual tool for augmenting music therapy sessions. This research explores how interactive cymatics (sound visualization) can improve communication and social interaction for people on the autism spectrum. Research Trends: His publications emphasize multi-sensory environments , therapeutic software systems , and user-centered design for neurodiverse populations. Recent work addresses stress triggers in autistic adults using augmented reality and mobile technologies . Supervision: Co-supervised PhD projects on topics including auditory selective attention in mixed reality and adaptive sound design for video games . Grants: Secured funding from Edinburgh Napier University and Arts & Humanities Research Council ( Audio Mostly 2023 conference ). £5,000 grant (AHRC) for embodied music interaction research Labs: Affiliated with the Centre for Interaction Design , contributing to interdisciplinary projects in health technology and creative arts .




