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.

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 Exchange (RDE)

The Resource and Data Exchange (RDE) is a reusable research platform that helps investigators securely manage, selectively share, and discover research data and related informational resources. Built as a reusable platform that can be adapted to the needs of individual projects, research centers, and collaborative research networks, the RDE combines secure access controls, governance workflows, and resource cataloging. The platform interoperates with institutional systems (IRB), data sources (REDCap), and computing environments (Ivy) to accelerate collaboration while helping researchers meet security, compliance, and data stewardship requirements. 

Available RDE Deployments 

  • UVA Academic RDE (Academic Research RDE | UVA | Home Page)- A university-wide platform featuring a dynamic index of UVA-licensed datasets and supporting collaboration, resource discovery, and data sharing across academic disciplines. 
  • UVA RDE for Health Research (Health Research RDE | UVA | Home Page)- A secure environment designed for clinical and translational research involving protected and regulated data, with governance controls that support responsible data access and use.
  • Autism DRIVE RDE (AutismDRIVE RDE | Home Page)- A customized RDE deployment designed to connect individuals with autism, their families, researchers, and other professionals with autism resources, education, and research opportunities. Additional RDE instances can be configured to support research centers, multi-institutional programs, shared data resources, clinical research networks, and other strategic initiatives. 

Interested in using the RDE for your research program or collaborative initiative? Contact [email protected] to learn more about existing RDE resources or discuss how an RDE deployment can support your research community, data-sharing initiative, center, or grant proposal. 

Contact: Don Brown 

Mobile, AI, & People Lab (MAP Lab) 

Formerly the Digital Technology Core (DTC) 

The Mobile, AI, & People Lab (MAP Lab) is a University of Virginia research core that provides the expertise, infrastructure, and collaborative partnerships needed to advance research involving mobile technologies, personal sensing, and artificial intelligence. Based in UVA’s Link Lab, MAP Lab works with investigators across disciplines to design, develop, and deploy innovative digital research technologies, accelerating research discovery and strengthening competitiveness for external funding. 

MAP Lab specializes in smartphone applications, wearable and multi-device sensing, secure research cloud infrastructure, and AI-enabled research systems. Its capabilities span mobile data collection, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), digital interventions, integration of consumer and research-grade sensors, and the development and deployment of AI-powered applications and agents. The lab provides secure, IRB-approved infrastructure for collecting, managing, and analyzing longitudinal and multimodal research data, enabling investigators to conduct studies without building complex technical systems from scratch. 

Through research collaborations, consultations, seed award opportunities, and access to reusable technology infrastructure, MAP Lab helps investigators translate research ideas into scalable, deployable systems. The lab emphasizes human-centered design and sustainable research infrastructure that can be adapted and reused across projects. Current collaborations include AI-enabled behavioral and mental health interventions, wearable sensing for health and social interactions, personalized digital health applications, and platforms for participant-controlled data donation. 

Learn more: https://maplab.virginia.edu/

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

WM Keck Center for Cellular Imaging 

The WM Keck Center for Cellular Imaging mission is to make a wide range of state-of-the-art, cutting-edge light microscopy systems including confocal, Airyscan, multiphoton, intravital imaging, super resolution, FLIM, FRET, etc available to investigators at the University of Virginia and neighboring scientific communities for life science projects. 

We are a resource for consultancy in all light microscopy related subjects such as Optimal instrument application, Optimal fluorophore selection, Image processing and data analysis, and for training and education. 

We work to innovate and develop new imaging approaches and related technologies in cooperation with UVA faculty and other imaging experts.

School of Medicine managed cores:

Searchable database

Cancer Center Cores

Contact

Jay W. Fox, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology
Director of Shared Resources

See Office of Research Core Administration