Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium - HRBRC

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Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium - HRBRC

HRBRC’s objective is to address health disparitie

The Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium (HRBRC) is a state-sponsored partnership between Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Sentara Healthcare, and Norfolk State University. A dynamic community-based university research collaborative with a mission that drives health equity and economic strength in Eastern Virginia.

02/24/2026

February is American Heart Month ❤️, and our Participating Organizations have been out and about promoting heart health all month!

Through pop-up farmers' markets, step challenges, resource sharing, research promotion, and other community outreach efforts, Eastern Virginia Medical School (Virginia Health Sciences), Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, and Sentara Health have been engaged across our community to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, help community members understand risks and signs, connect to resources, and educate about heart-healthy behaviors.

Learn more about cardiovascular disease, symptoms, and prevention methods using these two links below:

https://www.heart.org/en/american-heart-month

https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/blog/2026/02/17/american-heart-month/

02/05/2026

As we close out the HRBRC Y2 Collaboration Accelerator Fund, we want to congratulate and highlight the work of the CAF Y2 awardees!

First up is Dr. Yuying Shen, Professor and Researcher at Norfolk State University, with dynamic expertise in health and social data analytics, socio-cybersecurity, social organization, and environmental sociology.

Dr. Shen's CAF project, "An Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Effort to Advance Children's Mental Health Equity", set out to (i) study patterns of children's digital engagement and disparities, (ii) explore the impact of digital connectivity on children's mental health and well-being, and (iii) promote mental health equity through programs fostering cybersecurity awareness and digital capital.

In addition to identifying disparities among children's online risk awareness, experiences with cyberbullying, and mental health, Dr. Shen and her team of researchers across NSU, ODU, and CNU:

• Developed a dataset of 380 valid survey cases
• Led multiple community workshops to address youth cyberbullying and mental health in partnership with local churches, health organizations, and NSU's Center for Public Health Initiatives, reaching 285 youth and community members
• Presented 8 research articles at national and international conferences for the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science - IAPHS, The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP), RAIS Education, and the American Public Health Association
• Published two research papers linked right below:
http://bit.ly/4k9lg45
https://bit.ly/4q900gk

• Dr. Shen was also awarded $516.3K from the National Science Foundation (NSF) EiR Program for her research to advance digital capital and online safety among adolescents, which builds on her initiatives via the HRBRC CAF.

Dr. Shen’s research continues to bridge and advance cybersecurity, mental health, and community impact through transdisciplinary collaboration. We are so excited for Dr. Shen to progress her work. Dr. Shen, thank you for your dedication and impact, and congratulations!

Discover more of Dr. Shen's research using the link below:
- https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=O31PhD8AAAAJ&hl=en

01/28/2026

As we roll into the new year, we want to highlight some achievements from 2025:

•The research team with the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies has published 3 research papers, and 5 others were submitted and are currently under review. Team members have traveled to conferences - including American Geophysical Union (AGU) and NeurIPS - where they have presented 3 posters and given 2 talks.

• The HRBRC held its first summer intern program, hosting 5 students in data science and public health.

• The HRBRC Collaboration Accelerator Fund is officially in its close-out phase, and as reports come in, 6 papers have been published and 3 external grants have been awarded.

• The HRBRC partnered with Norfolk State University's Innovation Center to support the NSU Startup Weekend with NASA Langley in March 2025.

• The HRBRC hosted multiple workshops at HQ and visited schools, teaching 9th-12th grade students about 3D design, modeling, and prototyping.

• The HRBRC's Prototyping & Integration Lab partnered with the Sentara Health Center for Healthcare Simulation and Immersive Learning and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to develop an infant lumbar puncture training model. After completing the first phase prototype of the fluid-aspiration-equipped infant spine, the team is currently working on the second phase development of the complete infant training model!

These are just a few highlights from last year, and we're excited for what's to come in 2026!

01/26/2026

The 106th American Meteorological Society's Annual Meeting kicks off this week in Houston, TX!

The AMS Meeting brings together researchers, government agencies, and private industry to share and showcase the latest in science, technology, and human decision-making, and to tackle challenges in transforming pioneering research into real-world decision-making and societal impact. This year's theme is "Fast and Slow Thinking: The Human Factor in a Rapidly Changing World", with a core focus on training and developing the next-generation workforce through education, mentorship, and applied research.

At the conference, our very own Old Dominion University Research Assistant Professor with the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies, Dr. Maryam Golbazi, will be presenting her research on AI-driven high-resolution urban climate downscaling for Hampton Roads, Virginia. Dr. Golbazi's work integrates advanced numerical earth system modeling with AI/ML techniques, and satellite and in-situ observations to improve air quality, extreme weather events, and wind energy resource forecasting.

Good luck, Dr. Golbazi!

To learn more about the conference, workshops, or register, follow the link below:

https://ams.confex.com/ams/106ANNUAL/meetingapp.cgi/Home/0

01/19/2026

Exciting news! Dr. Maryam Golbazi, Old Dominion University Research Assistant Professor with the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies, is gearing up to head to the 2026 American Meteorological Society's Annual Meeting in Houston, TX on January 25th.

At the AMS Annual Meeting, Dr. Golbazi will be presenting her recent work on AI-driven high-resolution urban climate downscaling for Hampton Roads. Dr. Golbazi's work integrates advanced numerical Earth system modeling with AI/ML techniques, and satellite and in-situ observations to improve forecasts for air quality, from wind energy resources, and for extreme weather events.

Dr. Golbazi’s research bridges the gap between science and application to address pressing environmental and energy challenges. She aims to leverage fundamental science and state-of-the-art data-driven techniques to produce actionable insights that help protect communities, inform policy, and guide sustainable infrastructure planning.

Congrats Dr. Golbazi!

01/08/2026

Meet Dr. Giles, a Research Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University.

Dr. Giles' impressive research career to date has focused on the use of augmented and virtual reality to train healthcare professionals and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.

She has also investigated health disparities, including how COVID-19 and the opioid epidemic disproportionately impact minority communities.

Dr. Giles’ innovative work has also been recognized nationally by the Smithsonian Science Education Center for her creative use of simulation to educate youth about infectious diseases.

With new research underway, we are excited for and proud to support Dr. Giles as she continues to advance research that drives equity, education, and innovation in public health.

Stay tuned!

01/01/2026

As we welcome 2026, we’re excited to continue growing, innovating, and advancing our mission together.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

- The HRBRC Team

Learn more about us and our mission here: https://hrbrc.org/leadership/

12/30/2025

We are honored to have Dr. Aurelia Williams, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Norfolk State University, on our Board of Directors!

Dr. Williams has served NSU for over two decades. She has been an advocate and champion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), meaningfully impacting multiple campuses.

Dr. Williams holds several positions at NSU. As Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Dr. Williams leads, administers, and oversees efforts related to faculty and staff activities. Her expertise and leadership has driven the implementation of professional development opportunities and programs that strengthen and support effective working relationships within and across the University.

As a Professor of Computer Science and the Executive Director of NSU's Cybersecurity Complex - a state-of-the-art facility that supports cybersecurity research and education programs - Dr. Williams oversees, supports, and drives research, student training, and community outreach.

Welcome to the HRBRC Board, Dr. Williams!

12/25/2025

The HRBRC wishes you a joyful and peaceful holiday season!

As we reflect on the year, we are deeply grateful for the community members, innovators, scientists, educators, and health professionals who inspire us every day.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at the HRBRC!

To learn more about our mission, visit our site today: https://hrbrc.org/

12/22/2025

What a great week at the HRBRC! We recently opened our space to Old Dominion University's Center for Mission Engineering and Australian-based company, Kompozition, for a five-day training workshop led by Kompozition's Chief Scientist, Dr. Dan Powell.

Thank you to ODU's Center for Mission Engineering and to Kompozition for working with us and for your interest in our space! We’re always happy to explore opportunities and support mission-focused innovation in our region.

Interested in hosting a workshop at the HRBRC? Get in touch: https://hrbrc.org/contact/

12/10/2025

We're excited to be sharing our space at HQ this week with Old Dominion University's Center for Mission Engineering and the Australian-based company, Kompozition!

Kompozition provides a systems of systems approach to mission engineering that enables organizations to de-risk technical projects and maintain delivered systems.

Over the course of the week, Kompozition's Chief Scientist, Dr. Dan Powell, is leading training on the company's Digital Mission Engineering platform.

The HRBRC is pleased to share its space for the training and eager to support its participating organizations and community!

Interested in collaborating or hosting a workshop at the HRBRC? Follow this link to get in touch: https://hrbrc.org/contact/

12/08/2025

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2025 Conference is coming up December 15th-19th at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center!

This year, two Old Dominion University researchers with the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies will be presenting their work.

On December 18th, Dr. Jonathan Colen will be presenting, "Learning How Acute Air Quality Deterioration Exacerbates Pediatric Asthma in Hampton Roads, Virginia". This work, done in collaboration with researchers at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD), Boston Children’s Hospital, Jefferson Lab, and ODU, employs machine learning - a subset of artificial intelligence in which machines use advanced computing, algorithms, and statistical models to perform tasks and continuously improve through learning and experience - to understand factors impacting pediatric asthma in Hampton Roads.

On December 19th, Dr. Chetan Kumar will be presenting, "Temporal Super-Resolution for Flood Forecasting using Deep Learning in Norfolk, Virginia." This work, done in collaboration with researchers at Jefferson Lab, ODU, and University of Virginia, leverages deep learning - a subset of machine learning that uses multi-layer artificial neural networks to learn from enormous data sets - to develop advanced flood prediction models for Norfolk, Virginia.

Good luck and congratulations to our researchers and collaborators!

To learn more about the conference, workshops, or to reserve your spot, follow the links below.

Registration Link: https://www.agu.org/annual-meeting

Address

1070 University Boulevard , Suite 2105
Portsmouth, VA
23703

Website

http://hrbrc.org/

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