Steven Christian is a neuroscientist who doubles as a technologist.

Pivot From The Athletic World

The Sacramento, CA, native admitted that pursuing a career as a doctor was the natural path to follow, as it is often a top career suggestion for those with an interest in math and science. He was also an athlete and played football at the University of Hawaii while pursuing a pre-med track, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and, at Oregon State University, a master’s degree in psychology and sports medicine, according to his LinkedIn profile.

However, by his 21st birthday, two hip reconstructive surgeries cut his NFL aspirations short — but also led to a career in medicine.

“As I got injured … I started to learn more about the human body. I sort of navigated life and I started to make these connections with things that specifically impact Black people in Black communities from a health perspective, whether they know it or not. I just drew more intrigued by it. And I had a personal stake with it, whether it was for myself, my family, or my friends or whatever. It was something I couldn’t escape,” Christian told AFROTECH™.

Foray Into Tech

Christian’s journey isn’t linear. He has maintained an interest in technology. According to a post on Instagram, he was in a wheelchair following his second hip surgery and decided to become an animator to create cartoons using the internet as his teacher.

“I spent the past decade mastering the craft of learning how to tell stories visually and ultimately create original animated sequences both in 2D and 3D. Honestly the progress I’ve made as a self taught animator always baffles me,” he said in the post.

In 2011, he founded the creative entity, Stuck On An Eyeland Productions. Five years later, its evolution led to the creation of Iltopia Studios, a publishing house he established after facing challenges getting his own work published and printed. His digital projects fall under Iltopia Studios, which includes a separate creative arm known as Iltopia Creative.

Med Student

Today, Christian has found ways to maintain his diverse interests. He is an M.D., Ph.D. student in integrative neuroscience at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, although he is currently on a leave of absence. 

Before attending the University in 2021, he was looking to put animations inside books, and that led to an expansive footprint in immersive tech, particularly augmented reality (AR), which also tied in to neuroscience, as it deals with human perception and sensory input.

“I was able to make animated shows inside books and put animation inside books, right? And the way you do that is through augmented reality. The same sort of face filters that you use on Snapchat and everything, the same technology, QR codes and everything. So I was just doing that stuff on the side while I was trying to get through the first half of medical school. And I was like, ‘Oh, I would like to find ways to incorporate that into medicine or at least use that technology,'” Christian said.

“I really wanted to take a break from like the fast pace of medical school and really sit with like the creative and the tech side of it because I felt like there were a lot of opportunities,” he continued.

Christian is slated to receive his Ph.D. in two years, in addition to his master’s in the field, followed by residency. He says he also makes history as the first Black person in Nevada to pursue a master’s and Ph.D. simultaneously.

@iltopia

using Augmented reality as a storytelling device to make animated shorts you can hold in your hand. #comics #iltopia #EyelndFeevr #fypシ #fyp #AR #madewithunity #augmentedreality

♬ love song (hesitations) (sped up) – Lofuu & Shiloh Dynasty & dprk

Securing A Patent

His creativity has blossomed into various projects. Most recently, he secured a patent for the ANALOG-AR, a headset that can transform any smartphone into an AR and mixed reality (MR) device, according to a press release. Christian said Apple has cited the technology more than ten times in relation to the Apple Vision Pro.

Its development started before he attended medical school, took a few years, and is available for purchase for $45 (at the time of this writing).

“I was shocked,” he expressed.

“I didn’t know that Apple was citing me on stuff. And I’m just like, ‘Hey, let me get some of that money. I don’t need that much.’ But I think that it was validating … The same ideas that I’ve been exploring pre-medical school has led me to get a patent and get all these things, get into medical school, become a neuroscientist and all that. It’s a lot of delayed gratification, at least financially, I’ll say that,” Christian admitted.

Christian learned he had secured the patent months ago, but it was officially published on Oct. 21. In a follow-up statement provided to AFROTECH™ he added, “Having a patent and becoming an inventor was never in the cards for me. Especially in the middle of medical school. Nevertheless, I had an idea that I thought was pretty cool, and apparently so does the U. S. Patent Office!”

Cutie Catcherz

Christian is combining the best of all his worlds with the release of Cutie Catcherz, an AR graphic novel that covers medical topics such as microbiology and dermatology.

“The way that they expect people to learn medicine or health is outdated. So for me, I said, ‘Okay, what if I take these swaths of text, being an animator, I just storyboard all that stuff. And just turned that into cartoons,'” Christian said.

“I’m not changing anything. I’m not making it any more fantastical than it already is. I’m literally just putting characters to all these different mechanisms.”

He also released a mini video game to accompany the book, marking his entry into the immersive gaming space.

AFROTECH™ Conference

Christian will speak at the 2025 AFROTECH™ Conference, which will take place in Houston starting on Oct. 27. On Thursday, he will join a panel titled “Black Imagination in Health Tech: Building Patient-Centered XR Experiences” during the Health Stack Summit presented by UnitedHealth Group on the Discovery Stage in Room 320.

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