09/03/2025: The Next Evolution of Medical Technology
Robert is the Executive Director and Founder of IVRHA (International Virtual Reality and Healthcare Association), and teaches an Introduction to XR class part-time at Champlain College.
In June 2017, Robert held the first conference on virtual reality and healthcare at George Washington University Hospital with 100 attendees. It grew to 250 attendees at a follow-up conference a year later convened at Harvard Medical School. From there Robert founded IVRHA in March 2019 with 40 founding member organizations, which has grown today to 130+ member organizations globally, having recently celebrated the organization's 5th birthday this past March.
IVRHA is now planning it's 9th Annual Global Symposium on Virtual Reality in Healthcare taking place in Sarasota, Florida in late February 2025, as well as their 6th Annual European Symposium taking place in Geneva this coming November.
Prior to 2017, Robert was the Senior Director of Global Strategy and Development of IT at Conservation International (CI). Robert joined CI to take responsibility for connecting all of its forty global field offices to hi-speed broadband connectivity and building an international staff of 25 IT professionals during his 10 year tenure.
Robert has over ten years of additional work experience as a systems and sales engineer with various companies including CMGI, Hughes Network Systems, ioWave and Raytheon. Robert has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University, a master’s degree in environmental science and public policy from Johns Hopkins University, and he continues to develop his dissertation research on senior care and virtual reality.
The International Virtual Reality and Healthcare Association, or IVRHA, is a member driven organization comprised of entities throughout the healthcare ecosystem, including technology companies, teaching hospitals and universities, as well as healthcare providers and insurance companies. IVRHA’s mission is to facilitate and support the growth of the virtual reality and healthcare industry as this new computing platform impacts healthcare practitioners and patients alike.
