Dr Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari

I’m a psychologist, researcher, prolific author and expert speaker, with over 15 years of experience examining the impact of interactive media. 

Dr Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari

My academic milestones include a Marie Curie Postdoc at the University of Liège (Belgium), a PhD in psychology from Nottingham Trent University (UK) and master’s degrees from Stockholm University (Sweden) and University of Leon (Spain) on mental health and child and youth studies.

Critical inquiry on the psychosocial implications of interactive technologies has been my professional passion since undergraduate school when I conducted one of the first studies on pathological Internet use in 2000.

I started investigating Game Transfer Phenomena for my master thesis at Stockholm University in April 2010 where I coined the term “Game Transfer Phenomenon” (in short, GTP).

I have dedicated a large part of my academic career to investigating Game Transfer Phenomena, jumping from country to country, Sweden, UK, Norway and Belgium.

GTP is a multimodal research approach focused on understanding the impact of digital sensory stimulation and simulation on perception, cognition and behaviour, the so-called Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP). The research on GTP focuses on examining the interplay between individual experiences (i.e. sensory, cognitive and motoric intrusions and transient changes in perception and behaviour) and video game features and mechanics.

During the last years, research on GTP has expanded worldwide, and we have validated scales to assess GTP in various languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Polish and Turkish.

Currently, I’m leading a longitudinal project on esports in Nordic Schools (esportsNS) at SLATE (The Centre for the Science of Learning & Technology) at the University of Bergen in Norway and building up my clinical practice into CBT at the Uppsala University in Sweden. I am co-supervising Julio Llamas-Alonso at the University of Hertfordshire for his PhD thesis on Game Transfer Phenomena.

Via my Cyberpsyke Consulting, I provide services to developers, health care and education providers on gaming and gambling.

My venture into the video games world started when I worked at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, in the unit of pathological gambling. There I contributed to developing policies for online gambling and research on video games.

In 2015, I obtained my PhD in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University with my thesis “Exploring Game Transfer Phenomena: A multimodal research approach for investigating video games’ effects”. For my research, I received a doctoral award for excellence.

Later on, my research on GTP was funded by the European Union and the University of Liège with my Marie Curie COFUND Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.

I have been awarded prizes and funding for my research, including the prestigious Marie Curie postdoctoral grant. I have also served as an external PhD examiner and PhD student supervisor. I have published around 50 scientific articles, and I’m part of editorial boards, including the psychopathology section of Frontiers in Psychology.

My research has been covered worldwide, including BBC World Service, The New Scientist, Discovery News, Boston Globe, and Washington Post. It has been cited in reports, such as ‘Lloyds emerging risk report’ (2018), and POSTnote by the United Kingdom’s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2012).

My research has inspired an episode of the TV series CSI: Cyber and science fiction books.

I have also appeared on TV, radio, and podcasts since 1999 on the psychosocial implications of the Internet and video games. This includes the BBC World Service – BBC Click, BBC East Midlands news, and Televisa Monterrey.

My favourite game franchises include Animal Crossing, Mario + Rabbids, Resident Evil, Uncharted, Tetris Effect and the Last of Us.

Projects and impact


I have appeared on numerous media since 1999 talking about the psychosocial implications of the Internet and video games. This includes TV, radio and newspapers in Mexico, UK and worldwide.

TV

•BBC News, 2015 •Episode of the series “CSI: Cyber”, 2016 •Televisa Monterrey, 2000 •Multimedios Estrella de Oro, 2006, 2000, 1999.

News papers

•Die Zeit 2017 •The Telegraph – Science 2016, •Washington Post, 2016 •TV2 Norway, 2016 •The Sydney Morning Herald, 2016 •El Reforma, 2015, •The Independent, 2014 •Guardian, 2014 •Boston Globe, 2014, •The International Herald Tribune, 2011 •El Norte, 2005.

Radio & Podcasts

•BBC Digital Human, 2016 •Formula, 2015 •Late Night Gamers, 2014 •Piensa Indigo Media, 2012 •Brain Gain or Drain, 2011 •BBC World Service – Click, 2011 •Radio Nuevo Leon, 2006 •Radio Multimedios, 2000.

Magazines

•The Red Bulletin magazine, 2023 •The Atlantic, 2016 •Unwinnable Magazine, 2016 •Forbes, 2014 Gamer style, 2014 •Level, 2013 •Gamestar, 2013 •Muy interesante, 2012 •New Scientist, 2011 •The Metaverse messenger, 2007, 2008.

Other outlets

•Sci-fi book Planet Alt-Sete-Nine, 2021 and 2018 •Discovery News, 2016 •Venturabeat, 2015 •CBS News, 2014 •Sky News, 2014 •GameSpot, 2014 •Kotaku, 2011 •Eurogamer, 2011 •Amusing parodies such as by GINX 2011.

Follow the link for the full collection of media articles, videos and audio on GTP.