Research Core Resources

Cores

Research core facilities (also known as cores) operate as recharge centers and are centralized shared research resources that provide access to instruments, technologies, services, as well as expert consultation and other services to scientific and clinical investigators.

See University-wide Cores/Shared Equipment Best Practices.

New Research Cores

Created by Grand Challenges and the Strategic Research Infrastructure Initiative, the new Research Cores aim to facilitate cross-school collaborations and empower researchers to help solve come the world’s most pressing problems.

Clinical Data Warehouse

UVA aims to revolutionize biomedical research and clinical practices by establishing a state-of-the-art clinical data warehouse, leveraging data-driven automation and AI algorithms. The initiative focuses on providing researchers with access to electronic health records and other clinical datasets to develop predictive algorithms, fostering community research involvement. The envisioned warehouse, a first-of-its-kind at UVA, will facilitate cross-school collaborations and expedite studies in disease epidemiology, physiology, and clinical trials. The strategic investment sought will initiate the program, addressing technical infrastructure, and establishing a partnership for effective data governance. This groundbreaking project anticipates significant contributions to UVA's research landscape and transformative impacts on patient care.

Contact: Josyf Mychaleckyj

Research Data Enclave

The Research Data Enclave (RDE) is a pioneering initiative poised to revolutionize health research by providing a customizable platform for integrated and harmonized data. Born from the success of iTHRIV and existing data repositories, the RDE aims to address the urgent need for comprehensive systems to integrate diverse datasets. The enclave will feature partitioned web portals tailored to specific research scopes, a shared data index, technical harmonization, code workbooks for data preprocessing, and integration with a common analytics platform. By initially focusing on Grand Challenge programs, it will systematically aggregate electronic health records and other data, serving as a centralized resource for collaborative scientific endeavors. The RDE's adaptability will extend its benefits to research organizations beyond UVA, fostering data interoperability and reducing redundancy. Future iterations plan to include contributions from all UVA researchers, positioning the enclave as a leader in data resource sharing and infrastructure. The initiative emphasizes the critical role of integrated and harmonized data in addressing societal problems and aims to make significant contributions to scientific advancements and community support. The Research Data Enclave signifies a transformative step towards leveraging diverse datasets for impactful research and elevating the university's position as a leader in data-driven scientific inquiry.

Contact: Don Brown

Digital Technology Core

The Digital Technology Core (DTC) is a strategic investment aimed at establishing a robust research ecosystem supported by cutting-edge technology infrastructure. Serving as a resource hub for faculty engaged in innovative research involving digital technology, the DTC addresses a critical need for enhanced resources, expertise, and infrastructure. Equipped with diverse skills in digital application design, cloud computing, and data science, the core personnel will support next-generation sensing, human-centered design, and wireless communication.

The DTC will offer comprehensive services, including seed grants, training, networking, access to core tools at reduced costs, consultation, and direct support. Beyond efficiency enhancement, the DTC will tackle complex issues like IP/licensing/commercialization and provides guidelines for in-house versus external tech development. Prioritizing inclusivity, the DTC will address barriers for non-technical individuals, offering approved digital technologies, cloud infrastructure, and dedicated staff support. Examples of enabling technologies include AI interventions for social anxiety, wearable sensing for patient-clinician interactions, and digital tools for emergency services coordination.

The DTC will not only centralize and integrate digital technology services but will also serve as a connector for investigators, fostering collaboration and innovation. This strategic initiative positions UVA as a leader in groundbreaking research, enhancing competitiveness for major proposals and contributing to overall research excellence.

Contact: Laura Barnes

Clinical Trials Core

The Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) will provide a centralized infrastructure to support clinical research in a methodologically sound, compliant, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The goal is to assist and strengthen clinical researchers as they facilitate and execute high-quality human subject research in the School of Medicine, UVA Health, and the entire University of Virginia. The CTU aims to transform research and inspire hope for all Virginians and beyond.

The CTU will offer a comprehensive range of services to support various aspects of clinical research. These services include regulatory start-up and management support for study initiation and document maintenance, a pool of trained research coordinators for part-time hire, financial management assistance for budget development and billing, subject recruitment support, project management for multi-site studies, clinical research coordinator training and mentoring, protocol writing assistance, study start-up support for IRB submission, IND/IDE submissions to the FDA, Clinicaltrials.gov registration and updates, research billing support, and electronic support enhancements for various clinical research systems. Additionally, the CTU will provide a clinical research unit with outpatient facilities at Collins Wing and Fontaine for conducting study visits.

Contact: Linda Duska

Biomarker and Neuroimaging Core

The Biomarker and Neuroimaging Core within UVA’s Brain Institute will serve as a vital resource for neuroscience research, specializing in biomarker analysis and neuroimaging techniques. This core facility aims to provide cutting-edge technologies and expertise to investigators studying brain-related disorders and conditions. Researchers will be able to access advanced biomarker analysis tools and neuroimaging equipment, receiving support for experimental design, data acquisition, and interpretation. The core's services hope to contribute to a deeper understanding of neurological diseases and aid in the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. By offering state-of-the-art resources and collaborative assistance, the Biomarker and Neuroimaging Core will play a key role in advancing neuroscience research at UVA.

Animal EEG & Electrophysiology Core

The Animal EEG and Electrophysiology Core at UVA's Brain Institute will provide essential support for neuroscience research by offering state-of-the-art equipment and expertise in animal electroencephalography (EEG) and electrophysiology. This core facility aims to enable researchers to investigate brain activity in animals, facilitating studies on neural processes, cognitive functions, and responses to various stimuli. Services provided will include access to cutting-edge instrumentation, expert guidance on experimental design and techniques, as well as training opportunities for researchers. The core will play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of brain function and behavior, fostering innovative research within the neuroscience community across Grounds.

Environmental Institute

UVA’s Environmental Institute (EI) is a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to addressing complex environmental challenges. With a focus on resilience and sustainability, the Institute engages in research, education, and community outreach while fostering collaborations across disciplines to develop innovative solutions for environmental issues, encompassing climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem health. The Institute also plays a crucial role in educating the next generation of environmental leaders and seeks to promote community resilience by translating research findings into actionable strategies. Through its diverse initiatives, the Environmental Institute contributes to the University's commitment to environmental stewardship and the development of resilient and sustainable practices.

Data Analytics Center

The Data Analytics Center (DAC) will act as a central clearing house for researchers across the University grounds seeking assistance with the management or analysis of large-scale datasets. As part of UVA’s Research Computing group, the DAC offers comprehensive computational solutions for your projects, from selecting the right software and computing platforms, to creating new platform configurations to meet your needs.

Research Computing and the DAC empowers UVA researchers to achieve more with cutting-edge computational resources. Our support team strives to create innovative solutions for researchers who need help solving complex optimization, parallelization, workflow, and data analysis issues. We strive to build and maintain the University's best computing platforms while educating the next generation of researchers on the power of advanced computing.

Contact: Josh Baller

Core Laboratory Resource Sharing Agreement between Virginia Research Institutions

Seven academic research institutions in Virginia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to share core facilities and resources in an effort to advance the research enterprise in the Commonwealth. The Vice Presidents for Research from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech and William & Mary, working together with Virginia Catalyst, have achieved a breakthrough in collaborations that will greatly increase Virginia's competitiveness nationally and globally It will do so by increasing the accessibility for investigators affiliated with one institution to major resources at the partner institution. The main means by which this will be accomplished is by reciprocal offer of internal rates at certain institutional core laboratories. A full-text of this Memorandum of Understanding may be found here.

Access guidelines:

• Guidelines are described in full in the Memorandum of Understanding
• Fees charged to an Institution by the Partnership shall equal the fees charged to the Investigators at their own Institution.
• Investigators who want to use a Shared Resource at the partner Institution must first speak with the appropriate Shared Resource Director at the partner Institution to confirm availability of access and learn of any specific policies governing access. Once this is done, the point of contact at both institutions should be notified that samples and/or data will be sent and to arrange for billing information to be provided.  
• Each Institution shall give priority for use of Shared Resources to Investigators at their home Institution, and cross institutional use is on an ‘as available’ basis.
• ** In special recognition of the frequently irreplaceable nature of samples housed within a shared resource primarily concerned with acquisition and distribution of clinical tissue samples (i.e., a biorepository), access to samples from the VCU Tissue and Data Acquisition and Analysis Core,  the UVA Biorepository and Tissue Research Facility, EVMS Biorepository and Histology Core will require a determination by the respective scientific director that granting access will not disruptively impact the potential future needs of investigators at the home Institution.