Julia Sebastien

Julia Sebastien studies how transportive and playful technological interactions can support human agency, prosocial behavior, and flourishing. In Cornell’s Virtual Embodiment Lab, she explores novel VR applications for wellbeing, self‑transcendence, and education. Her wellbeing work centers on immersive VR simulations designed to reduce acute pain, foster self‑transcendence, and ease anxiety. Her educational research tests a new VR learning intervention about ancient Pompeii as part of the multi‑institutional Casa della Regina Carolina Project. A member of Cornell’s Social Media Lab, she has also contributed to research on barriers and facilitators to cyberbystander intervention in online harassment.

As a 2025–2026 Digital Storytelling Fellow, Julia is developing a digital narrative game exploring cultural identity and tolerance in the Ivy League. A committed advocate for integrating human‑centered academic research into technology for social impact, she was an invited Colloquium speaker on this topic for Cornell’s Department of Communication.

Julia trained in evidence‑based, user‑centered technology design at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she conducted formative evaluations of the Harvard Arts Museums, and led the design and testing of a GenAI-powered tool promoting self-reflection and emotional intelligence that won first prize in the MIT Ignite: Generative AI Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition. 

Julia also holds a Specialized Honors BA in Psychology from York University, where she worked as lab manager in the Interpersonal Perception and Social Cognition Lab and led studies on implicit bias and couples’ virtual communication during the pandemic. 

Earlier, Julia completed a Double Major in Media Studies and in Advanced Arts and Humanities at Western University.