Prof. Dr. Marie Ottilie Frenkel is currently setting up a new VR laboratory at the HFU Study Center in Freiburg. She specialises in the development of VR training to help in stressful situations.
Spotlight on profs: Prof. Dr. Marie Ottilie Frankel researches at Furtwangen University on virtual training systems
Why can some people keep a cool head in sudden crisis situations − while others freeze up and are no longer able to call on well-mastered skills? “This question was the basis for my research work,” reports Prof. Dr. Marie Ottilie Frenkel, who lectures at the Furtwangen University Study Center in Freiburg. The psychologist and sports scientist is passionate about analysing human behavior in stressful situations − and using VR technology to develop systems that help us understand and reduce stress. “This is always particularly important when it comes to risks, for example to our own health,” says Frenkel. The scientist, who taught at the University of Heidelberg before her appointment at HFU, investigated how police officers deal with stress in an international and EU-funded project. “Officers on patrol duty must always be prepared for something unforeseen to happen which may also be life-threatening for them”. Frenkel designed a training course that simulates situations for the officers in which they have to react appropriately. “We then evaluated attention processes, decisions and police behavior − very exciting!” says the researcher enthusiastically. “Programs like this can be used to train people specifically to withstand stress and react calmly.
Frenkel's next research project, which she brought with her to Furtwangen University, developed in a similar direction. “In 'Med1stMR', the aim is to simulate an accident in which there are more injured people than rescue workers,” says Frenkel, describing the project approach. Paramedics have to decide at lightning speed which casualties need to be helped first. “This is immensely stressful, but it can be practiced,” says the professor. In a similar scenario, the scientist is now working on a VR training course specifically for fire departments, this time focusing on technology-based decision support for staff work in the fire department.
Prof. Dr. Frenkel came to Furtwangen on the basis of a particularly enthusiastic recommendation − “My father-in-law was a computer science professor at HFU, and he was always telling me how wonderful the university is. Of course, he also read through my application,” Frenkel reveals. She loves teaching − after 15 years as a secondary school teacher, her main motivation is now to impart psychological expertise to students in the Department of Physiotherapy. Frenkel is currently setting up a new VR lab at the Freiburg Study Center − because “apart from exciting research projects, technological support in health matters is part of modern teaching from the outset”. In the new VR lab, virtual reality will be incorporated into physiotherapy teaching. Using case studies with real patients, treatment principles such as participatory decision-making in therapy and interaction with the patients being treated will be practiced. Virtual learning tools are developed with students and then evaluated by lower semesters before being used in practice for the first time.
And how does a stress expert with a doctorate deal with this issue in her own life? “I don't actually find my job stressful,” laughs Frenkel. “And if things do get wild with applications and deadlines − sport always helps.” Of course, the lively researcher already has her sights set on new applications for which she hopes to obtain funding. This time, the focus will be on patients suffering from chronic pain,” she says enthusiastically. “I'd like to find out to what extent virtual training can help such people to cope better with their pain − I have high hopes for this. We have already had very good experiences with similar settings for people with movement restrictions who initially practice movement sequences mentally.” Frenkel feels very much at home at Furtwangen University − “the great thing is that I've been able to get to know a lot of colleagues from completely different disciplines here, all of whom are also doing research in the VR context − there are promising synergies!” − and certainly a lot of new project ideas.
Spotlight on profs:
In this series, we introduce the distinguished academics who lecture and conduct research at Furtwangen University. HFU is a university of applied sciences, so our professors have many years of practical experience. We present their exciting lives and career stories.