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.
UVA’s Center for Applied Biomechanics researches how the human body sustains injury—and how to prevent it—in both car crashes and combat. Jason Forman leads automotive safety work with NHTSA, while Robert Salzar develops military protective equipment, including the Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin, born from studying blast injuries in MRAP vehicles.
UVA’s new ForgingUS project will make the documents, correspondence, and people behind America’s founding more accessible than ever. Supported by a $10 million NEH grant, the digital platform combines primary sources, maps, images, and data visualizations to illuminate the creation of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution
Measuring pain in clinical settings is challenging, especially for patients who cannot self-report. Cori Espelien, a postdoctoral researcher at UVA’s Department of Public Health Sciences, is developing AI facial recognition software that automatically detects and classifies pain.
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Dr. Jianjie Ma, director of the Division of Surgical Sciences at UVA School of Medicine, discusses how translating research from the lab bench to clinical trials brings lifesaving therapies to patients. Featured in a video for the 2026 Annual Research Report, produced by the Office of the Vice President of Research.
Anton Korinek, professor of economics at UVA’s College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Darden School of Business, discusses the economic implications of artificial intelligence in this video featured in the 2026 Annual Research Report, produced by the Office of the Vice President of Research, explaining why AI deserves serious attention.
With graduate student volunteers from across neuroscience fields, UVA’s Brain Science Outreach program reached more than 1200 elementary, middle, and high school students in Virginia last year.
U Ask, UVA Answers returns this fall with talks at Jefferson-Madison Regional Library and new sessions at Crozet Library. Sarah Flowers kicks off September discussing Alzheimer’s disease and genetics research. Upcoming speakers include Bryan Berger on food biotechnology in October and Natasha Diba Sheybani on ultrasound breast cancer treatment in November.
UVA researcher Majid Shafiee-Jood and his team are partnering with Wise County, Virginia decision makers to strengthen flood preparedness after Hurricane Helene’s devastation. By blending advanced predictive models with residents’ firsthand experiences, the initiative aims to help rural southwest Virginia communities better anticipate and withstand future floods and natural disasters.