Active Video Gaming and Virtual Reality Lab Director
Byron Lai, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics Division of Rehabilitation Medicine. He has 10 years of experience in exercise research for people with disabilities. From 2014-2021, Dr. Lai joined Dr. James Rimmer under the UAB School of Health Professions’ Lakeshore Research Collaborative where he completed his PhD and two postdocs. His research interests shifted towards a focus on utilizing telehealth communications to improve health and function of a variety of different disability groups. Working under the Collaborative, he developed an expertise with testing and applying telehealth technology to increase the reach and scale-up potential of onsite grant-funded programs. Study findings demonstrated that telehealth could overcome common barriers to exercise participation and increase the reach and scale-up potential of onsite exercise programs for people with disabilities.
Currently, Dr. Lai’s long-term research interests involve the development and dissemination of widespread activity services to improve health and function among children with disabilities. Dr. Lai transitioned into a faculty position in the UAB School of Medicine in March 2021, where he now continues his telehealth exercise research among children with disabilities through grant funded programs.