Steve W. Cole

Dr. Cole guides research at HopeLab, Pam Omidyar’s nonprofit that developed the Re-Mission videogame for cancer. Dr. Cole also studies the social regulation of gene expression as an Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA. In August 2008, HopeLab data showing that rationally engineered videogames can improve health behavior were published in the journal Pediatrics. Dr. Cole now leads HopeLab’s efforts to understand how fun, engaging social technologies impact the mind and body to improve the lives of teens and young adults. This research includes brain-imaging studies examining how play experiences get into the body and change health behavior. Much of Dr. Cole’s work focuses on answering the question, How can we create play that works?