Prof. Alcañiz’s career is distinguished by an interdisciplinary approach that fuses engineering, psychology, and neuroscience. Trained as an industrial and biomedical engineer with computer graphics expertise, he recognized the potential of virtual reality to augment human capabilities early on. In the 1990s, he was among the first to apply VR in clinical contexts (“virtual therapy”), using immersive simulations for the treatment of psychological disorders). Under his leadership, his lab developed one of the earliest VR systems for mental health therapy, giving patients safe virtual environments to confront phobias and anxiety. This approach has now become standard in exposure therapy. His 2004 presence study and subsequent work on emotional responses in VR provided a scientific basis for these therapies, showing that immersive technology can evoke authentic emotional and cognitive reactions comparable to real-life stimuli. These pioneering efforts have led to significant advances in mental health treatment (e.g. VR exposure therapy for phobias and PTSD) and neurorehabilitation, as noted by international reviewers.

Beyond mental health, Prof. Alcañiz has driven innovation in medical surgery and neuroscience. His early work in medical imaging yielded advanced techniques for surgical planning: for example, the improved watershed segmentation method has been widely adopted for identifying anatomical structures in medical scans, aiding neurosurgeons and radiologists in treatment planning. Likewise, his lab’s contributions to neurodevelopmental disorders include VR systems for training social and cognitive skills in autism (providing controlled multisensory environments for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder)  and cognitive training games for attention and memory. In ageing and neurodegeneration, he has applied XR tools to cognitive assessment and rehabilitation for older adults, helping address memory loss and balance disorders. Notably, a VR-based balance rehabilitation system he co-developed (using a low-cost balance board interface) improved postural stability in patients with acquired brain injury in a pilot clinical trial. By integrating neuroscience methods (such as EEG and psychophysiology) into XR platforms, Prof. Alcañiz has helped establish “immersive neuroscience” – using VR/AR to study the brain and behaviour. This includes breakthroughs in organizational neuroscience, where he uses virtual simulations to investigate human decision-making and emotions in contexts like consumer behaviour and workplace leadership. For instance, his recent work introduced the XR-based Behavioral Biomarkers (XRBB): implicit neurobehavioral metrics collected in immersive scenarios to assess complex skills and traits. Such contributions exemplify how Prof. Alcañiz bridges fundamental science and engineering to create new methods for understanding the human mind and health. As a result, his research has led to significant advances in surgery, mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders, and elder care, contributing theoretical knowledge and tangible clinical tools. Prof. Alcañiz has equally made a mark in education through extended reality technologies. His award-winning 2010 study on an augmented reality textbook demonstrated how AR can enhance spatial reasoning skills in engineering students, a key predictor of success in STEM fields. Following this seminal work, many engineering and architecture programs worldwide adopted AR applications to improve students’ 3D visualization abilities. Prof. Alcañiz’s interdisciplinary team (spanning graphic engineers and educational psychologists) has developed numerous “serious games” and virtual environments for learning – from virtual laboratories for medical training to interactive VR scenarios for leadership and teamwork skill development. These systems are tested in lab settings and deployed in real classrooms and corporate training, reflecting his emphasis on practical impact. Indeed, his institute’s mission prioritizes applied research and the direct transfer of technology to society ). They have created immersive learning platforms where trainees can practice skills in realistic virtual settings (for example, emergency response training using VR simulations of crisis scenarios), and studies have documented improved performance and engagement. Prof. Alcañiz’s work in this arena stands at the intersection of cognitive science and pedagogy. By leveraging XR’s interactive, multisensory capabilities, he has shown how to engage learners better and adapt to individual needs (e.g. “virtual stealth assessment” techniques that unobtrusively measure a student’s progress via behavioural cues in a simulation). His contributions to education technology are thus twofold – theoretical frameworks for how XR can affect motivation, presence, and memory retention and practical systems that have been implemented with demonstrable gains in learning outcomes. This fusion of theory and practice in educational XR has significantly influenced academic research in educational psychology and the EdTech industry’s development of AR/VR learning tools.

Leadership in Extended Reality and Industry Impact

In addition to his scientific achievements, Prof. Alcañiz has shown outstanding leadership in advancing XR technologies from the laboratory to real-world use. He has a sustained record of technology transfer: his research has yielded various patents and commercial products, and he has found multiple spin-off companies to bring innovations to market (). Notable examples include virtual rehabilitation, neuro-marketing, and simulation training ventures, which have attracted private investment and succeeded in international markets. These spin-offs – built on his lab results – have delivered impactful solutions, such as VR systems for psychological therapy that are now used in clinics and neuromarketing platforms that large companies employ to gauge consumer responses in virtual retail environments. These companies’ success and market impact underscores Prof. Alcañiz’s ability to bridge academic research with business innovation, creating value for both society and the economy. Indeed, his work exemplifies how a scholar can be an entrepreneur: his projects are often conceived with scalability in mind, and several of his prototypes have evolved into products and services reaching end-users (patients, students, or customers) beyond the university setting ().

On a broader scale, Prof. Alcañiz plays a key role in shaping the XR field internationally through leadership and advocacy. He serves as Director of LabLENI (the Laboratory of Immersive Neurotechnology at UPV) and the founding director of the Human-Tech Research Institute, where he has mentored a multidisciplinary team of 100+ researchers and staff. Under his direction, these teams have consistently competed for and won competitive funding, including large European projects, and have been recognized as key innovators in Europe’s XR ecosystem. Prof. Alcañiz has coordinated numerous consortia at the EU level; for example, he coordinates the new Horizon Europe project XR2Industry, which aims to develop the first XR hardware and platform entirely produced in Europe. Launched in 2023, XR2Industry is a flagship initiative to tailor extended reality to Industry 5.0 needs, and under Prof. Alcañiz’s guidance, it brings together industry and academia to build an ethically-conscious, European-driven XR infrastructure. This reflects his vision for technological sovereignty and responsible innovation in XR.

Prof. Alcañiz is also a prominent figure in European XR policy and standardization efforts. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the European Extended Reality Association (EURO-XR), working with stakeholders across Europe to steer the future of XR research and industry). In this capacity, and as an appointed advisor to the European Commission on AI and XR, he has been instrumental in forging the “Virtual Worlds” initiative of the EU. Notably, he is a founding member of the European Commission’s upcoming Virtual Worlds Partnership. This public-private partnership will drive R&D and deployment of next-generation virtual and augmented reality across sectors. Through these roles, Prof. Alcañiz helps align academic innovation with industry needs and EU policy — for example, advising on ethical frameworks for the metaverse and setting research agendas for XR in healthcare and education at the European level. His leadership ensures that Europe’s XR community benefits from an interdisciplinary perspective and that emerging standards and platforms are informed by rigorous scientific evidence.

The impact of Prof. Alcañiz’s work is reflected in the recognition he has earned. He has published over 350 scientific works across fields (biomedical engineering, computer science, psychology, marketing, education, etc.), supported continuously by national and European funding for three decades. His outstanding research career was honoured with the UPV Award for Excellent Research in 2023), and one of his recent papers on XR in organizational behaviour received the Best Paper Award at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, highlighting the influence of his work in the business and management domain. Such accolades, spanning engineering and social science venues, testify to his contributions’ scholarly excellence and practical relevance. In sum, Prof. Mariano Alcañiz’s pioneering contributions to extended reality technologies – from foundational theories and algorithms to clinical interventions and industry-changing innovations – have profoundly shaped the landscape of VR/AR in healthcare, neuroscience, and education. His interdisciplinary approach and commitment to translating research into practice exemplify how new technologies can be developed and applied to enhance human well-being, merging scientific rigour with real-world impact.