The 2025 recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award for Denmark is jointly awarded to Heka VR and the VIRTU Research Group.

In Denmark, collaboration has become a powerful catalyst for turning scientific innovation into compassionate care for people with severe mental illness. Two remarkable teams are using virtual reality not as a novelty, but as a vital therapeutic tool.

One team has developed a clinician-guided platform that creates precise avatars and modulates the therapist’s voice in real time, enabling structured, repeatable dialogues tailored to individual needs. Designed in partnership with patients and fully aligned with psychiatry services, the platform includes clinician training, workflow integration, and robust safety protocols.

The other team provides the evidence to support this innovation. Large-scale trials demonstrate feasibility and clinical gains, while translational research brings virtual reality directly into clinical practice. By combining VR with biomarkers and eye-tracking, they are advancing personalised mental health care and helping to relieve pressure on overstretched services.

This inspiring bridge from laboratory research to real-world application exemplifies visionary leadership, scientific rigor, and meaningful impact in mental health care.

Congratulations to Heka VR and the VIRTU Research Group.