February 2026 Community of Interest Highlights
The Humber Aging in Community Education & Research (ACER) Community of Interest is a growing platform that facilitates the exchange of emerging trends, knowledge sharing, and the exploration of research opportunities.
This year we have launched the new ACER Innovation and Impact Series, a dynamic speaker series designed to bring together researchers, community partners, industry experts, and innovators to explore practical solutions that create meaningful impact.
The highlights of our recent Speaker Series on Thursday, February 19, 2026, are as follows:
Our recent session marked a strong start to the series, featuring an engaging presentation by our amazing speakers Jonathan Parker and David Neumann titled “Spatial Technology + Aging Population”
Jonathan Parker is a lecturer and creative technologist based in Swansea, Wales, currently teaching at Gower College Swansea. His work focuses on the practical applications of immersive and spatial technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, particularly in educational and healthcare settings. Jonathan has been involved in research exploring how technologies like VR can support wellbeing, including projects aimed at using virtual reality as therapy for people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment. He has also collaborated internationally with educators and technologists — including Professor David Neumann from Humber Polytechnic on XR and innovation initiatives connecting emerging tech to real-world social impact.
David Neumann is a Professor in the Faculty of Media, Creative Arts & Design at Humber Polytechnic in Toronto. He is an award-winning educator and creative technologist known for his work at the intersection of emerging technologies, creativity, and education. David has a diverse background that includes experience in industry as a creative technologist and in academia, where he leads innovative projects that engage students with technologies such as AR/VR and spatial computing. He played a key role in launching Humber’s Creative Technology Post-Graduate Certificate Program and has been recognized for his contributions to internationalization, teaching excellence, and equity, diversity, and inclusion through multiple President’s Awards. His work spans community outreach, global partnerships, and transformative learning experiences that prepare students for a rapidly changing technological landscape
At the meeting, David and Jonathan presented their project. Key points discussed include:
Overall goal of the project: enhance therapy outcomes and explore the potential of VR/AR to slow cognitive decline.
Spatial technologies such as VR and AR can support older adults beyond dementia care, including applications in pain management, palliative care, and quality of life.
Development of a memory risk assessment tool to identify individuals at higher risk of cognitive decline.
Plans for a long-term study to evaluate the sustained effects of these technologies on cognitive health and well-being.
Creation of a micro-credential focused on VR and dementia research for students and professionals.
Engagement of students, faculty, industry partners, and aging experts to brainstorm ideas and assess technologies from a human-centered perspective.
Note:
The next Community of Interest (CI) gathering is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM featuring Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg, PhD, Scientist and Director of Operations at UHN OpenLab.
We invite all individuals interested in participating in this important dialogue. Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, student, or are committed to improving the quality of life for older adults in our communities, your insights and experiences are highly valued. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults and the communities that support them.