My creative work explores empathy, compassion, and the ways emotions shape human connection. Below are selected award-winning projects across media — visual, written, and video — that bring together my academic and artistic perspectives.
How well can we “read the room”? This award-winning 3D video animation, created using Blender, explores whether people can accurately perceive the emotions of a group. I chose Blender for its accessibility and creative flexibility, allowing me to merge scientific storytelling with visual art. Using video clips of groups reacting to emotional films, we found that people were actually more accurate at judging group emotions than individual ones. Interestingly, focusing on the most expressive person didn’t improve accuracy — suggesting that group dynamics, not individual details, drive empathic understanding.
Selected as 1 of 5 winners.
This textured piece reflects my research on physiological synchrony in romantic couples. The vulnerable figure represents suffering, while the supportive partner offers solace through empathy. Bold strokes of color symbolize shared heart rhythms, highlighting how compassion can transform pain into connection.
Awarded winning submission in non-digital category.
Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, this vignette reflects on how compassion—for ourselves and others—can counteract isolation, anxiety, and distress. Drawing on social psychology research, it highlights how cultivating compassion strengthens relationships, regulates emotions, and offers resilience in moments of collective challenge.
Selected as 1 of 4 winners.
I advanced to the University of Toronto’s 3MT finals with my talk, “Understanding Compassion Fatigue Using Psychophysiology.” The competition challenges PhD students to present their research in just three minutes using a single slide. My presentation examined how repeated exposure to others’ suffering — such as a partner’s ongoing stress — can gradually erode our capacity for compassion.
Finalist, University of Toronto.