MindGrove is a self-guided virtual-reality intervention that transforms an immersive forest into a structured therapeutic journey for young adults experiencing social and public-speaking anxiety. Guided paths, evidence-based exercises, and realistic exposure scenarios allow users to learn and practise anxiety-management skills in a controlled environment.
Role:
Principal Researcher and Product Manager
Timeline:
September 2022–May 2026
Organizations:
University of Toronto and Institute of Science Tokyo
Impact snapshot
5 shipped product versions across 6 experimental cycles
174 users and participants in Canada and Japan
Study outcomes included a 79.3% reduction in social-anxiety scores and a 31% reduction in public-speaking anxiety
Led 15 developers and 12 research assistants
My contribution
Owned the product from concept to validation: led MindGrove through five shipped versions and six experimental cycles involving 174 participants in Canada and Japan.
Led cross-functional and international delivery: I coordinated 15 developers and 12 research assistants, managed study operations and analysis, and led Japanese localization and cross-cultural evaluation with the Institute of Science Tokyo.
Phase 1: Product Discovery and MVP — 2022–2023
Defined the 0→1 product strategy: identified an underserved need and created an evidence-based roadmap that progressed from a calming virtual forest to structured psychotherapy and active exposure.
Turned early user research into the first experience: launched an MVP in two months and used a nine-participant qualitative pilot to establish the core experience: predefined forest paths, clear goals, ambient nature sounds, animals, and checkpoint-based therapeutic guidance.
Translated clinical content into an immersive experience: adapted validated therapeutic exercises into concise, voice-guided activities and coordinated development, testing, and launch.
Phase 2: Therapeutic Validation and Accessible Interaction — 2023–2024
Established an iterative evaluation framework: combined validated anxiety and usability measures with behavioural outcomes, physiological data, and interviews to evaluate therapeutic impact, engagement, cybersickness, and comprehension.
Demonstrated longitudinal therapeutic impact: conducted a longitudinal evaluation in which participants’ social-anxiety scores decreased by 79.3% over four weeks, providing evidence for the intervention’s potential beyond a single session.
Turned evidence into product iterations: converted 77% of participant feedback into subsequent versions or research directions, identifying cybersickness and limited interactivity as the most important usability barriers.
Reduced important VR usability barriers: collaborated with a mechanical engineer to integrate walk-in-place and pedal-based navigation, which was evaluated in a 16-participant study.
Phase 3: Active Exposure and International Expansion — 2024–2026
Expanded MindGrove into active exposure therapy: used participant feedback to design a public-speaking simulation featuring a virtual audience and realistic distractions such as phone use, interruptions, and side conversations, shifting the experience from passive learning to active practice.
Demonstrated an impact on public-speaking anxiety: revealed a significant 31% reduction in participants’ public-speaking-anxiety scores.
Added an AI-assisted assessment capability: directed the development of a transformer-based speech-analysis pipeline and reduced 81 acoustic features to the 10 most predictive, achieving 71% accuracy in predicting social anxiety.
Validated the experience across cultures: coordinated Japanese localization and longitudinal testing with the Institute of Science Tokyo, enabling the product to be evaluated in a distinct social and cultural context.
The People Behind MindGrove
MindGrove would not have been possible without the dedication,
creativity, and perseverance of our research and development team.
Checkpoint and forest view.Therapeutic guidance through a mountain meditation narrated by David
Taylor, with seasonal change animation, and a concluding Three-Minute Breathing
Space practice.Exposure therapy through a public-speaking exercise performed in front
of a virtual audience.
