Dr. Nick Peres

Biography

Dr. Nick Peres brings an unconventional path to digital healthcare innovation, spanning broadcast media, the creative industries, and over 15 years of transformative work within the NHS. He joined Falmouth University as Professor in the Centre of Blended Realities in October 2025, while continuing his role as Director of Digital Innovation and Transformation at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and serving as XR Technologies Advisor for NHS England.

Nick's career trajectory bridges creative practice, emerging technologies, and human-centred innovation. His background as a filmmaker prior to working in healthcare simulation has cultivated a distinctive perspective on how emerging technologies may serve to centralise healthcare's fundamentally human dimensions.

Research & Practice

Nick completed his PhD in 2024, researching technological mediation and the development of humanistic skills in medical simulation. His doctoral work challenged the current trend towards high-fidelity simulations driven by technology-centric marketing strategies, exploring instead the potential of immersive media to enhance empathy and compassion in healthcare education.

The study developed two innovative outputs: PatientVR, an immersive patient perspective experience that became nationally recognised and was featured in WIRED Magazine and on both BBC and ITV; and Minimal Viable Simulation (MVS), a sustainable and humanistic approach to simulation-based education that prioritises learning objectives over technological sophistication.

NHS Innovation Leadership

Through his role at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Nick co-leads the Digital Futures programme, which has been nominated for a parliamentary award and received invitations to 10 Downing Street. The programme supports research and development projects, digital health fellowships, and digital literacy initiatives, acting as an embedded health and social care focused innovation hub.

Nick has created, implemented and led numerous XR-based projects within the NHS, including the nationally recognised Health Education England-sponsored VR Lab. He provides guidance to NHS organisations on implementing XR technologies, advocating for transparent sharing and collaboration as key factors in successful adoption.

National & International Impact

Nick has shaped national policy through contributions to frameworks, landscape reports, and guidance including NHS England's VR Accessibility Guidelines and the National Framework for Simulation-Based Practice. He co-chairs multiple innovation and XR communities of practice, influencing how emerging technologies are understood, adopted, and integrated into health and care practice.

His work has attracted parliamentary award nominations and he presents regularly at conferences across healthcare, technology, and innovation sectors, including TEDx talks on the humanity of technology in healthcare.

Philosophy

Nick's approach is grounded in practice-led methodologies, viewing technology not as an end in itself but as a medium for storytelling, learning, and human connection. This humanities perspective informs his research into how immersive technologies can be deployed meaningfully across healthcare, education, and creative sectors — particularly in contexts where resources are constrained and human needs are paramount.

"My work challenges conventional approaches to technology adoption by foregrounding human experience and collaborative creation, advocating for approaches that enhance rather than replace human connection in healthcare."