UK-based research firm and digital studio Dubit has hired childhood education specialist Dr. Dylan Yamada-Rice to fill the role of senior research manager.

Yamada-Rice’s arrival comes in the wake of Dubit launching XRGames–a new studio focused on virtual reality content. As such, she will be conducting a three-part in-house study looking at on-boarding, interaction, engagement and the health and safety of children in the world of VR.

She will also be responsible for adding insights to Dubit Trends, which surveys the global kids market. Additionally, Yamada-Rice will continue to serve as the academic industry link for the European Cooperation in Science and Technology-funded research network DigilitEY, an EU-wide group that studies the potential of digital tech for kids.

Yamada-Rice was an early childhood education lecturer at the University of Sheffield and also worked on the Tech and Play project in partnership with CBeebies, which looked at preschoolers’ use of apps. As well, she participated in a Research Council UK-funded project looking at digital play for hospitalized children.