BSCVR | CDC’s First Immersive VR Training Platform
Key Points
- Co-led CDC’s first immersive VR training initiative, transforming biosafety cabinet instruction into a skill-based simulation.
- Co-led a yearlong effort to secure funding, recruit specialized talent, and architect the pilot’s creative and technical strategy.
- Directed an 8-month Unity and Cinema 4D build of a fully interactive lab environment with real-time feedback and retry mechanics.
- Pilot results demonstrated increased confidence and procedural accuracy, catalyzing new funding and formation of a 12-person VR learning team.
Details below
Challenge
Biosafety cabinet (BSC) technique is critical for protecting laboratorians, yet traditional training formats, webinars, manuals, and slide-based instruction, were not reliably translating into consistent real-world skill performance. Internal data and learner feedback revealed persistent gaps, particularly in physical procedural behaviors.
At the same time, VR was emerging as a potential training modality, but CDC had no precedent, funding structure, or internal development infrastructure to support it.
The challenge was to determine whether immersive simulation could measurably improve skill transfer, and to build the capability from the ground up.
We didn’t just build a VR platform—we built a turning point. This project proved that creativity and innovation belong at the heart of training.
Strategy & Process
I co-led a yearlong effort to pitch and secure funding for CDC’s first VR training pilot, defining the learning hypothesis, technical scope, and evaluation framework. Once funded, we recruited a VR developer to lead programming and a CDC fellow to support study design and outcome evaluation.
As an ACD and product co-lead, I guided the initiative from concept through launch — overseeing team recruitment, creative direction, timelines, and hands-on 3D production. The 8-month build in Unity and Cinema 4D resulted in a fully interactive biosafety lab environment designed for first-time VR users.
In collaboration with SMEs, we translated procedural expertise into intuitive, tactile interactions with real-time corrective feedback and retry mechanics. The experience was engineered to allow learners to safely make mistakes and refine technique in a controlled, immersive setting.
Impact
Pilot results demonstrated higher learner confidence and improved procedural accuracy compared to traditional formats. The findings validated immersive simulation as a viable training modality within CDC.
The success of the initiative secured additional funding, expanded leadership support, and directly led to the formation of a dedicated 12-person immersive learning team. It marked a structural shift in how technical training could be delivered across the agency.
Why I Included This
This project represents the launch of immersive learning within CDC — combining strategic advocacy, product development, team formation, and hands-on creative execution to establish a new training capability.
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