Dr. Sebastian Cmentowski was a postdoctoral researcher at the HCI Games Group, University of Waterloo, Canada from July 2023 to November 2024. Funded through the Provost's Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars, his work focused on using extended reality (XR) games to address one of the most urgent problems of our modern society: lacking physical activity. By leveraging the engaging nature of exergames, he worked on motivating users to incorporate physical exercise into their daily routines. His research efforts in this area tied into his broader mission to make XR applications more accessible and effective in tackling contemporary challenges.

With a strong background in computer science, Dr. Cmentowski’s research has consistently pushed the boundaries of XR and spatial computing applications. For his Ph.D., he developed a series of novel interaction and locomotion concepts for virtual environments, explored embodiment of non-human characters in VR, and designed concepts that make VR more accessible to outside observers. In 2022, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Duisburg-Essen with the highest recognition (summa cum laude). Selected as one of the three recipients of the prestigious Provost's Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars, Dr. Cmentowski joined the HCI Games Group in July 2023 to advance his research on immersive exergame applications.

During his time in the HCI Games Group, Dr. Cmentowski has published multiple articles at top-tier conferences, such as the comprehensive literature review of current exergame research presented at CHI 2024. Additionally, he has guided Ph.D. and Master students on their way to their first paper, participated in international collaborations, and helped shape the HCI Games Group's reputation as a leading institution in games research by taking on senior roles in the research community. At the end of November 2024, he left the HCI Games Group to join TU Eindhoven as an Assistant Professor in Game Design and Digital Twins.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Cmentowski has authored over 25 research publications, contributing significantly to the understanding of XR interaction methods and their applications. His work has garnered more than 450 citations, reflecting his influence in the field and underscoring his commitment to advancing XR technology. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Cmentowski is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of scholars. Apart from his teaching and supervision experience, he is also an active member of the research community, serving as associate chair, session chair, mentor, or SV- and WiP-chair on the organizing committee for CHI PLAY since 2022. These activities further highlight his commitment to fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment.