As part of the UPRAISE project’s capacity-building activities, the XR COM LAB and the Ciberimaginario Research Group (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) hosted María Isabel Márquez Solano, researcher at the Instituto de Investigación Aplicada y Tecnología (InIAT, Mexico), during a research stay in the final phase of her PhD.
Her contribution was structured as a continuous training pathway, designed to support training-of-trainers in immersive communication. Across these sessions, participants engaged with both the conceptual foundations and applied uses of virtual reality (VR) and XR technologies, with a strong emphasis on real-world implementation.
A key outcome of this training sequence was the transfer of applied knowledge from the researcher’s doctoral work, which focuses on the development of a VR-based prototype for post-stroke (CVA) rehabilitation. The case demonstrated how immersive environments can enhance patient engagement, motivation, and interaction, highlighting the measurable added value of XR technologies in clinical and health communication contexts.
From a UPRAISE perspective, the activity contributes directly to:
- Upskilling educators and researchers in immersive communication methodologies
- Bridging research and application through validated case studies
- Expanding interdisciplinary competencies at the intersection of communication, technology, and health
- Strengthening international collaboration, particularly between European and Latin American research ecosystems
This initiative reinforces UPRAISE’s strategic objective of fostering advanced digital and immersive skills, while promoting responsible and impactful uses of XR technologies in societal and professional domains.
