PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – What if virtual reality could be the solution to ending youth violence? A Virginia Commonwealth University educator was just awarded a major research grant from the National Institutes of Health to find that answer.

This makes for a significant moment in NIH grant history, as VCU forensic research psychologist Dr. Nicholas Thomson was selected for a $3 million grant, marking the largest federally-funded study in the U.S. to address how virtual reality can address violence and mental health among high-risk youth.

Thomson's five-year national study could find the remedy to combat youth violence and mental health, using the unconventional avenue of virtual reality.

"This is a really unique opportunity to really [bring] mental health and violence prevention ... to t

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