NASA has advanced PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope, into its next development phase, with UVA astronomers playing key roles. Professor Jason Glenn led the mission’s concept study, while Ilse Cleeves serves as co-investigator. Targeted for 2033 launch, PRIMA will explore planet formation, black hole growth and cosmic dust, marking UVA’s expansion into space-based astronomy.
UVA professor David Danks has been named a 2026 AI2050 Senior Fellow by Schmidt Sciences, one of six researchers worldwide chosen for this honor. The three-year, $1 million fellowship will fund his interdisciplinary research into how AI systems, designed to reflect human values, may actually reshape those values over time.
A UVA expert explains the tech giant’s satellite test plan and whether putting AI systems in space could ease environmental pressures on Earth.
UVA computer scientist Chen Chen has earned a five-year, $600,000 NSF CAREER Award to build next-generation AI tools for epidemic intelligence. Combining case reports, wastewater data and mobility patterns, her research aims to improve disease forecasting, guide public health interventions, strengthen surveillance strategies, and eventually help communities understand local infection risks.
Four University of Virginia School of Engineering faculty have received prestigious NSF CAREER Awards for research tackling major societal challenges through AI. Jason Bates, Chen Chen, Yu Meng, and Tianhao Wang are exploring nitrate conversion, disease forecasting, learning from imperfect data, and privacy-protecting synthetic datasets, respectively, each backed by roughly five-year, $600,000-plus grants.
UVA Health cardiologist Dr. Patricia Rodriguez-Lozano explains how revised definitions could guide more personalized care.
UVA professor Bryan Berger continues the fall U Ask, UVA Answers series, speaking at the downtown Jefferson-Madison Regional Library on October 11 and the Crozet Library on October 21. Berger will discuss PFAS forever chemicals and biotechnology innovations improving food safety and quality, plus how science can reduce environmental health risks.
UVA researcher Dr. Melanie Rutkowski and her team discovered why ovarian cancer resists immune checkpoint therapy, finding that gut microbiome bacteria confuse the immune system’s ability to recognize tumors. Their lab findings reveal a way to block this signaling, potentially restoring treatment effectiveness and offering ovarian cancer patients more time.
Through neuroscience and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Tanya Evans examines the memory systems that influence learning, with the goal of improving outcomes for children who struggle in school.
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