Rayna Ney

I am a Computer Science PhD Candidate at the Mobiliar Lab for Analytics at ETH Zurich.

As technology advances at breakneck speed, there is a burgeoning need to address the personal and societal impacts that arise as result from its widespread adoption. I am primarily interested in leveraging the latest extended reality technologies (including augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality) to improve societal well being and mental resilience in this context.

I am particularly interested in how bio-signals, such as cardiac and neural data, can be applied in virtual environments for the purposes of creating novel training techniques to improve wellness. I am concerned with understanding the mechanisms underlying impactful extended reality applications as well as how best to reduce the negative effects (e.g. cybersickness, escapism, isolationism) while augmenting its best aspects (immersion, increased motivation, and novelty). My methodology is interdisciplinary, combining the fields of computer science, cognitive science, and neuroscience to inform my research.

Supervising Master theses related to: Human-computer interaction for extended reality, extended reality and generative artificial intelligence for visual artifacts, applied biofeedback/neurofeedback, and neurofeedback training for mental wellbeing.