HATLab at Virtual Medicine 2025
Patient partner trialing virtual reality program for phantom limb pain
HATLab Summer gathering
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Research Areas
The HATlab has three related primary streams of research.
(1) How does mental health impact adverse health events (medical trauma), and what are common psychological outcomes following such events? Understanding psychological sequelae (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), delirium) of adverse health events such as the onset of a life threatening illness, major surgery and associated complications, admission to the intensive care unit, and COVID-19. The HATLab is interested in what pre- and peri-event factors might contribute to particular outcomes. A significant proportion of the HATLab's research focuses on perioperative mental health specifically. (2) What are feasible interventions to improve health outcomes in adverse health events? Developing targeted interventions aimed at reducing negative psychological outcomes following adverse health events. The HATLab is particularly interested in the use of extended (virtual) reality in perioperative settings. The HATLab is conducting clinical trials examining the application of virtual reality prior to surgery, during surgery, and in the acute postoperative period. (3) What is the impact of anxiety and trauma-related disorders on physical health and chronic pain? Understanding the relationships between anxiety and trauma-related disorders (e.g., PTSD) and physical health conditions including chronic pain. These investigations include understanding co-occurrence, mechanisms that elucidate co-occurrence, and correlates/outcomes of co-occurring conditions (e.g., healthcare utilization). |
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Media
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Dr. El-Gabalawy regularly provides print, radio and live media interviews. Media requests can be sent directly to her or through the University of Manitoba or Shared Health Communications Office. She also occasionally publishes through media platforms (e.g., op-ed, opinion).
Selected Op-Ed/Opinion Publications El-Gabalawy, R. (May 12, 2025). Feeling anxious before surgery? Anxiety can harm healing but innovative mental health support could help. Accessed here. El-Gabalawy, R., Reynolds, K., & Mota, N. (January 10, 2021). The silver linings of COVID-19. Published on CBC. Accessed here. El-Gabalawy, R. & Sommer, J. (March 23, 2021). COVID-19’s parallel pandemic: Why we need a mental health “vaccine”. Published in The Conversation. Accessed here. Selected Media Features 1) UM Today (Feb 1 2024): "The Winnipeg Foundation Innovation Fund supports cutting edge projects" 2) CTV News (March 20 2023): "New online portal helping people deal with chronic pain" 3) Shared Health Manitoba (Feb 28 2023): "Toward health: the broad reach of Clinical Health Psychology" 4) UM Today (May 4 2021): "Rehearsing for reality" 5) UM Today (Oct 22 2020): "UM studies show negative effects of surgical cancellations and postponements" 6) The Mighty: "What you should know about chronic illness-induced PTSD" |
Funding
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As principal investigator, Dr. El-Gabalawy has received generous research support from:
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Dr. El-Gabalawy and colleague trialing virtual reality software
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