Dr Dimitri Chubinidze is a Research Associate in the Department of Psychological Medicine at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN). His research investigates complex questions at the intersection of digital health technology, embodied experience, cultural practice, and mental health.

Dimitri has a multidisciplinary background in journalism, psychology, and psychological/medical anthropology. He received academic and professional training from Tbilisi State University (Georgia), Emory University, and the University of California, San Diego (USA).

Before joining King’s, Dimitri held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Knowledge Lab at University College London, working on the ERC-funded InTouch project. He collaborated with an interdisciplinary team across psychology, anthropology, design, and human-computer interaction to investigate how digital touch technologies shape social connection. His work contributed to developing innovative multimodal methods for exploring sensory user experience in emerging digital environments.

Dimitri brings over six years of experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, alongside five years in a leadership role as Head of the Scientific Research and Development Department. He has led, taught, and collaborated on projects across clinical, ethnographic, and technology-enhanced research settings.

At King’s, Dimitri works in Professor Kate Tchanturia’s lab, where he focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of neurodivergent-informed adaptations in eating disorder services. He collaborates with clinical teams, service users, and technology developers to co-design and test tools that support emotion and sensory regulation - ranging from socially assistive robots to sensory-informed product design. His work also includes sensory adaptations of clinical practice and contributions to service innovation through policy research and user-centred design.

Research Interests

• Sensory User Experience and Multimodal Perception

Investigating how sensory environments shape embodied lived experience, emotional regulation, and therapeutic engagement - particularly in clinical, digital, and creative settings.

• Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research

Using ethnographic, narrative, and design-led methodologies alongside evaluative frameworks to co-produce knowledge and support human-centred innovation in mental health contexts.

• Clinical Practice Research and Digital Health Technologies (DHT)

Exploring the design, implementation, and evaluation of sensory- and neurodivergent-informed tools - including socially assistive devices, VR, and mobile platforms - to enhance care experiences and therapeutic outcomes. AI-Assisted

• Mental Health and and Therapeutic Imagination

Examining the role of artificial intelligence in supporting emotional expression, self-reflection, and relational dynamics in therapy through generative, interactive, and metaphor-driven technologies.

• Cultural Models, Neurodiversity, and Adaptive Ecologies of Care

Understanding how cultural logics and sensory norms shape mental health practices, with a focus on co-producing inclusive policies and environments for neurodivergent individuals.

 

Dimitri welcomes collaborations with artists, designers, and creative practitioners interested in exploring the intersections of sensory experience, mental health, and emerging technologies.