I'm an assistant professor at the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University, and my research is on HCI, VR, and 3DUI design. I also research the challenges people from LATAM face when working as HCI researchers.

I lead the VERTEX Lab, which focuses on understanding how people think when working in a 3D virtual environment. The lab's current projects involve: designing new 3DUIs for 3D sketching, understanding perception issues in virtual environments and studying skills transfer between VR and real life, and vice versa.

I was born in Mexico City. I got a BA in Animation and Digital Art at the Tec de Monterrey and an MSc in Creative Media Technologies from the University of Tasmania. I completed a PhD at SIAT, Simon Fraser University (2020) under Dr. Wolfgang Stuerzlinger's supervision. I also worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the iVizLab and Virtro. Outside academia, I have worked as a web developer, videogame designer and producer.

CURRENT GRANTS

• MITACS Accelerate.
• Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research Grant 2023-2025 (co-applicant).
• JELF CFI Grant.
• NSERC Discovery Grant.

AWARDS

• 2024 Dean's Research Excellence Award.
• 2021 IEEE VGTC Best VR Doctoral Dissertation Award.
• Dalhousie Belong Research Fellowship 2021/22.
• MITACS Postdoctoral Accelerate Grant 2021.
• SFU Presidents PhD Scholarship.
• SIAT, Travel Award Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Summer 2019.
• SFU Provost International Fellowship 2015.
• CONACYT Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies 2015.
• CONACYT Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies 2012.
• Producer of “No Chicken Soup Today” – Dev Hour Student Showcase 2011.
• Production assistant of “Hubiera” – Honorific Mention in Animasivo 2011.
• Producer and animator of “Radioterapia” – Best Animation in Radio UNAM 2010.
• Producer of “Vida Congelada” – Best Comedy in Campus Movie Fest Mexico 2010.