Video/Online Games for Health: 12 Research Teams From Across U.S. To Receive Ma...( Awards Going to Researchers in CA ...),Health

Awards Going to Researchers in CA, FL, IN, ME, NC, NY, SC, VT and WA;

Studies Explore How Games Can Increase Physical Activity and Enhance

Prevention, Self-Management of Health Conditions

PRINCETON, N.J., May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than $2 million in grants will be awarded to 12 research teams to help strengthen the evidence base that supports the development and use of digital interactive games to improve players' health behaviors and outcomes. The grantees will be announced during a live, phone-based news event (with full Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT Thursday (May 29, 2008).

This is the first round of grants to be awarded from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Health Games Research national program, based at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Funded studies explore topics ranging from how motion-based games may help stroke patients progress faster in physical therapy to how people in substance abuse treatment can practice skills and behaviors in the virtual world to prevent real-world relapses.

News event speakers will be:

-- Debra Lieberman, Ph.D., communication researcher, Institute for

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research, University of California at

Santa Barbara; and

-- Chinwe Onyekere, program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's

Pioneer Portfolio.

TO PARTICIPATE: Join this live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT on May 29, 2008 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "health games grants" news event.

CAN'T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of this news event will be available as of 6 p.m. EDT on May 29, 2008 at http://healthgamesresearch.org/ .

CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265, or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com; and
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