Nicholas Thomson
Forensic psychologist, VR mental-health entrepreneur and violence-prevention researcher
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Summary
Developer of evidence-based VR interventions for youth mental health and violence prevention: Thomson founded and leads Arche XR and has translated laboratory interventions into commercializable VR programs (Impact VR, Elevate VR) designed for schools, hospitals and justice settings, with multiple funded trials and pilots to test efficacy and scale. archexr+2
Forensic psychologist and academic researcher focused on developmental psychopathology and psychopathy: He holds an associate professorship at VCU, conducts research on psychopathy, aggression, and psychophysiology, and has an extensive publication record including a scholarly monograph on psychopathy. vcu+2
Leader of translational and clinical research with funded trials and partnerships: Thomson directs research and evaluation at VCU Health's Injury and Violence Prevention Program, leads registered clinical trials, and has secured major funding and industry partnerships (including an NIH award and a T-Mobile partnership) to expand deployment of VR interventions. vcu+2
Active scholar with peer-reviewed contributions on emotion processing and aggression: Thomson's published randomized trials and empirical studies demonstrate a focus on mechanisms (e.g., emotion recognition, callous-unemotional traits) and intervention outcomes for youth with conduct problems. nih+1
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
Impact VR: Building Socioemotional Resilience in Youth with Conduct Disorder
January 1, 2026Peer-reviewed article reporting improvements in emotion recognition accuracy, peer and parent relationships, and reductions in social stress following an Impact VR intervention in adolescents with conduct disorder.
Impact VR: A Socioemotional Intervention for Reducing CU Traits, Conduct Problems, and Aggression in Youth with Conduct Disorder
December 1, 2025Randomized controlled trial reporting that Impact VR produced reductions in callous-unemotional traits, caregiver-reported conduct problems and youth-reported reactive aggression among adolescents with conduct disorder.
Understanding Psychopathy: The Biopsychosocial Perspective
January 1, 2019A monograph that presents a biopsychosocial framework for understanding psychopathy, synthesizing psychological, biological and social perspectives on development and expression of psychopathic traits.