Karl Clarke

Queen Mary University of London

Karl Clarke is a PhD researcher focused on how virtual environments influence social interaction. He was born in England, grew up in the Middle East, and returned to the UK for university. He holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Audio Technology. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he began exploring virtual reality after getting access to a headset, which led to a shift in focus toward social VR.

He is now part of the Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (iGGi) doctoral programme, where his research looks at how spatial layouts and group behavior are shaped by virtual environments in free-standing social settings.

Outside of his research, Karl runs SONAR, a music group hosted in VRChat that uses social VR for live performance and shared listening experiences. Through this project, he has independently learned game development skills in 3D modelling, scripting, and a small amount of graphics programming.

He is currently looking to collaborate with VR studios or social platforms working on immersive and social experiences.