Joyce Fung is a Professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University and a researcher at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital site of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation (CRIR) of Greater Montreal. A pioneer in applying virtual reality to rehabilitation and a founding member of the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation (ISVR), she has served on both the ISVR Steering Committee and Board of Directors, and has been an Honorary Board Member since 2023. She played pivotal leadership roles as General Chair of Virtual Rehabilitation 2008 in Vancouver and as Scientific Co-Chair of the 2024 WCVR in Amsterdam, the first joint ISVR–XR4Rehab congress. Her continuously funded research program spans fundamental studies of sensorimotor integration in posture and balance to the development and clinical implementation of innovative technologies for assessing and treating balance and mobility disorders. In recognition of her contributions to rehabilitation science and knowledge translation, she received the Canadian Physiotherapy Association’s Centenary Medal of Distinction in 2021.

In this ISVR Distinguished Service Award lecture, Dr. Joyce Fung reflects on more than two decades at the forefront of virtual rehabilitation—from pioneering one of the earliest motion-platform VR gait training systems to helping shape international standards for VR-based assessment and intervention. Drawing on discoveries that link sensorimotor integration to real-world mobility, she traces how neuroscience and emerging technologies have evolved together to transform rehabilitation practice. Blending scientific insight, technological innovation, and lessons from collaborative clinical research, she offers a forward-looking perspective on the next generation of immersive tools poised to redefine mobility and participation in rehabilitation.