Christos Lougiakis is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. As part of his research, he is currently exploring novel interaction mechanics in XR and their effects on the perceptual and cognitive processes. He holds a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in Computer Science, which he acquired from the same institution of higher education. Additionally, he is a researcher and technical lead as part of the narralive team at the Athena Research and Innovation Center in Athens. He is leading the design and development process of the team’s technical and research efforts related with finding effective ways of user interaction and creating meaningful experiences in VEs. In the past, he has designed and developed the team’s authoring and experiencing systems for digital interactive narratives in cultural heritage through web and VR applications. As an IKY Fulbright Visiting Ph.D. Student, Christos will join the 3D Interaction Group in the Computer Science Department at Virginia Tech, under the supervision of Professor Doug Bowman for a 6-month period. During this period, Christos will explore the effects of physics-simulated hand interaction in the user experience, specifically the user's performance, preference and sense of virtual embodiment, while being immersed in XR environments. The scholarship opportunity aligns perfectly with his previous research and his future ambitions and aspirations for improving the realism and intuitiveness of hand interactions. By undertaking this program, Christos' goal is to deepen his knowledge, gain invaluable experience, and push the boundaries of XR interaction research through collaborating with other experts and renowned scientists in the field.