Summer Research Program

Department:
Astronomy

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Physics, astronomy, extrasolar planets, stars, orbital dynamics

About the lab:
Any level (year in college) is appropriate for this project, as the goals can be adjusted for the level of the student. The student should have taken some calculus-based physics. While prior experience with computer programming is not necessary, the student should be interested in learning scientific programming, most likely in python.

Prerequisites:
Any level (year in college) is appropriate for this project, as the goals can be adjusted for the level of the student. The student should have taken some calculus-based physics. While prior experience with computer programming is not necessary, the student should be interested in learning scientific programming, most likely in python.

Specific project(s) available:
The goal of this summer project is to study the dynamics of the fluid motion in the star and planet as well as the orbital dynamics. The primary tool will be computer simulations, and hence the first part of the summer will be spent learning the needed computer skills. Simulations will then be carried out and visualized to understand the different physical processes at work.

Web site:
https://uva.theopenscholar.com/phil-arras

Department:
Astronomy

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Physics, astronomy, stars.

About the lab:
Many stars, including our Sun, are observed to be ringing in their internal modes of oscillation. The field of stellar oscillations has recently been revolutionized by observations of thousands of oscillating stars by NASA's Kepler mission.
The project is to understand the oscillations of "red giant stars", which are near the end of their nuclear burning lifetimes. The goal of the project is to understand the observed wave amplitudes and frequencies through theoretical modeling of the fluid dynamics. Turbulence excites the sound and gravity waves and nonlinear wave-wave interactions may allow waves to share energy. The goal is to understand the "heights" of the waves which are observed by Kepler through modeling the nonlinear interactions among the waves. This project is appropriate for students interested in physics and/or astronomy.

Prerequisites:
Any level (year in college) is appropriate for this project, as the goals can be adjusted for the level of the student. The student should have taken some calculus-based physics. While prior experience with computer programming is not necessary, the student should be interested in learning scientific programming, most likely in python or fortran 90.

Specific project(s) available:
This project will involve studying the properties of red giant stars as well as the oscillation modes within these stars. Publically available stellar structure and stellar pulsation codes will be employed, and the numerical output will be used to understand the ``three-wave" nonlinear forces. The goal is to asses the importance of nonlinear fluid interactions for waves in stars of different evolutionary stages, as the ascend the red giant branch, with the radius and luminosity of the star slowly increasing in time. These calculations for the size of the nonlinear wave interactions will be applied to understand data from the Kepler and TESS Space Telescopes.

Web site:
https://uva.theopenscholar.com/phil-arras

Department:
Astronomy

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Planet Formation, Numerical Modelling

About the lab:
As a research group, we are interested in the different aspects of how stars and planets form via gravity out of the gas and dust found in space. We learn about these things by using a combination of computer models and observations from telescopes.
Students will spend most of their summer learning how to use computers to model chemistry and/or the propagation of radiation (i.e. light, radio waves, etc.) in an astronomical context. The end goal of the project is to develop concrete observational predictions for catching planet formation “in the act”. These predictions will need to be specialized for existing and future astronomical telescopes.
From a practical point of view, this includes the use of the Python programming language, version control software (i.e. git), other existing astronomical software for which the student will receive training, as well as how to run and analyze numerical models of planet formation.
There will also be opportunities for students to attend and participate in professional development seminars and scientific research presentations with other summer students in astronomy.

Prerequisites:
Some experience with calculus is required. Experience with differential equations is an advantage, but not required. Basic computer programming experience is also a requirement. Any experience with the Python, C, or Fortran programming languages will be an advantage.

Specific project(s) available:
Title: How can we see if newborn planets are growing?
Description: Students will spend most of their summer learning how to use computers to model chemistry and the propagation of radiation (i.e. light, radio waves, etc.) in an astronomical context. The end goal is to make concrete predictions for what we might observe with existing and future astronomical telescopes. From a practical point of view, this includes the use of the Python programming language, version control software (i.e. git), other existing astronomical software, as well as how to perform numerical models in parallel (i.e. on more than one CPU at a time). There will also be opportunities for students to attend professional development seminars and scientific research presentations.

Web site:
https://uva.theopenscholar.com/jon-p-ramsey

Department:
Biology

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Evolutionary Biology

About the lab:
The general focus of the lab is studying rapid evolution of fruit fly populations in response to seasonal fluctuations in the environment. Our goal is to characterize the species composition of flies across the growing season and in across different microhabitats (e.g., orchards vs. compost piles) and to further characterize the genetic changes that occur within and between species that allow them to thrive in different conditions such as summer and winter.
The data that we collect include the the species composition, population density, and basic morphological traits such as body size. The flies that we collect will ultimately be used for DNA sequencing and we will add the flies collected during the 2022 summer as part of an international effort to characterize the scope of variation in flies across the globe.

Prerequisites:
There are no strict prerequisites. An interest in field work (collecting flies from the wild), genetics, and evolution are a ideal. Any relevant experience in fly biology is a bonus.

Specific project(s) available:
In this summer program we hope to investigate a fundamental question in ecology: how food source and habitat type alters the local species composition across space and time. As such, summer research in our laboratory will investigate patterns of species diversity of fruit flies living in different orchards in the Charlottesville area. The students will travel once a week to a local orchard in Carter’s Mountain to sample different species of fruit flies. Travel to the orchard and sampling will be done with other staff members of the lab, and will include transportation.
Sampling will be done at different cultivars-types in the orchard: apples, and peaches and across different altitude levels in the Mountain. The students will also conduct sampling at the UVA grounds as a “city-type” habitat. Paralleled to fly collections, students will also use high resolution sensors to capture temperature and humidity data. Students will then sort, classify, using microscopes, and quantify species abundance in their collections.
After weeks of collections, students will receive training to analyze species abundance data using statistical methods. The resulting analyses will allow students to answer questions such as: do the species composition changes across cultivars or in the city? Are there drastic differences of species diversity among habitats? Is there a correlation between changes in species composition and altitude, temperature, or humidity data? This will be a fun project and will provide students with useful scientific skills for their future careers.

Web site:
https://bergland-lab.org

Department:
Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Virology

About the lab:
We work on Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) pathogenesis using multiple systems including primary mitotic cells, neurons and mouse models of infection. Our current goals are to understand how HSV established a latent infection in neurons and how the virus reactivates from latency to cause disease. We are also investigating how neurons sense and mount an anti-viral response to the virus. During the project, the student will learn basic virological and cell culture techniques, in addition to molecular biological techniques (RNA extractions, quantitative PCR) and immunofluorescent imaging.

Prerequisites:
Not essential but prior courses in molecular biology would be useful.

Specific project(s) available:
The student will investigate the role of HSV induced mitochondrial DNA damage in activation of the innate immune response.

Web site:
https://mic.med.virginia.edu/cliffe/

Department:
Chemistry

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Catalysis, energy processes, organometallic chemistry, synthesis

About the lab:
The Gunnoe group is focused on the development of new homogeneous catalysts for reactions of relevance to clean energy as well as large-scale petrochemical processes. Research efforts include the development and study of catalysts for water oxidation (relevant to the conversion of sunlight to fuel), alkane oxidation (relevant to the conversion of natural gas to liquid fuel and high value chemicals) and arene functionalization (relevant to petrochemical processes).
Students in the Gunnoe group receive training on synthesis and characterization of transition metal and organometallic complexes and application of these new complexes toward new catalytic reactions. Substantial experience with NMR spectroscopy is obtained. Many of our projects are highly collaborative and involve collaborations with other chemistry groups, materials science groups and chemical engineering groups.

Prerequisites:
N/A

Specific project(s) available:
Development of new catalysts for: 1) water oxidation (solar energy to fuels), 2) alkane oxidation (natural gas to liquid fuels and high value chemicals) and 3) arene functionalization (relevant to petrochemical processes).

Web site:
http://gunnoelab.virginia.edu

Department:
Chemistry

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Drug discovery

About the lab:
The Hsu Laboratory focuses on the discovery of bioactive molecules. A central theme of the group is the development of covalent probes and inhibitors for investigating protein and lipid activity. Research in the group is multidisciplinary and uses a combination of organic synthesis, bioanalytical chemistry, and bioorganic chemistry.

Prerequisites:
General chemistry, biology, biochemistry

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
http://hsulab.com/

Department:
Chemistry

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Inorganic Chemistry - Energy

About the lab:
Our lab studies how inorganic molecules can use electricity to run important reactions. Students will be involved in the preparation of chemical compounds, electrochemical measurements, and analytical measurements to quantify chemical compounds and reactions. The research goal is to design better inorganic molecules to convert carbon dioxide into more useful molecules, as well as oxidize other fuel types.

Prerequisites:
Basic chemistry lab experience is helpful, but not a requirement

Specific project(s) available:
Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction and alcohol oxidation

Web site:
https://machangroup.virginia.edu/

Department:
Chemistry

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Chemistry, 3D printing, and immunology

About the lab:
Our lab is a chemistry and engineering lab that studies the immune system. Our body’s immune system is very complex. Many different types of cells must work together in unison to produce the immune responses that protect us from harmful bacteria, viruses, cancer, and other diseases, while avoiding inflammatory diseases from overactivation. Our lab is interested in how cells of the immune system communicate with each other. To study this topic, we invent new tools using chemistry and materials science, which allow us to measure communication between immune cells in new ways.
One of the techniques that our lab uses is 3D print small devices and tools, and use them to stimulate immune tissue or analyze immune function. We use cutting edge 3D printers to generate tiny devices with features smaller than a millimeter, and also standard 3D printers like those sold on Amazon to make larger handheld tools. We continue to develop new methods to 3D print specific devices for handling the immune cells, and to test out new materials for 3D printing in order to achieve new functionality.

Students who join our lab to work on this project could learn topics that span several areas of science, including:

* Engineering/building: Using cutting edge 3D printers and optimizing print settings and conditions for new materials and designs
* Chemistry: Chemistry of 3D printing materials, as well as analytical chemistry techniques like fluorescent microscopy and UV-Vis adsorption
* Biology: Working with live cells, how to culture and count them, and how to measure their viability (how alive they are)

Prerequisites:
Students interested in working in our lab should have had an introductory course in chemistry or biology, preferably with a hands-on lab section. Prior experience with 3D printing or cell culture is not required. Students should be interested in the project, and eager to learn new skills and be comfortable with taking on projects or tasks that require some self-guided learning and initiative. Students should be curious and not afraid to ask questions and be able to work as part of a lab community. Students should also be prepared to manage their time so that they can make progress on research goals on a day to day basis.

Specific project(s) available:
While we have developed 3D printing methods to generate a variety of useful tools, there is still much work to be done. For example, students in the lab have invented microtools to culture immune cells, but sometimes the materials are toxic to the cells. This summer, we are excited to host a student through the VA-NC Alliance to test out some new materials that may be more biocompatible, including custom plastic formulations, and even 3D printing glass.
Students will have a chance to train on the project and then lead the testing of how to set up the printing, design parts for printing using computer drawing software, how to prepare the devices, and test biocompatibility with live immune cells. If successful, the student will leave a lasting impact by contributing a new set of tools that will allow manipulation of immune cells to study how they communicate.

Web site:
http://www.pompanolab.com/

Department:
Chemistry

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Chemical Biology

About the lab:
Our laboratory is focused on the development and application of methodologies to measure and control biological processes. These multidisciplinary efforts are supported by a combination of approaches including synthesis, protein design and evolution, bioanalytical chemistry, and molecular biology. Applications are focused on fundamental studies of biologically-relevant systems and human disease.

Prerequisites:
Organic Chemistry

Specific project(s) available:
In one project, we are pursuing the development of a cell-based assay for protein phosphatase activity. Phosphatase activity mediates several cellular communication pathways, including cancer progression, but unfortunately there are currently no available methods to directly detect phosphatase activity in living cells. We aim to address this critical technology barrier. Students will gain experience with protein design, molecular cloning, protein purification, and fluorescence activity assays.

Web site:
https://uva.theopenscholar.com/cliff-stains

Department:
Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Mechanobiology

About the lab:
The Caliari Lab engineers biomaterials to study cell behavior in the context of fibrotic disease and musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. Students this summer will be paired with a graduate student to work on projects related to the design, synthesis, and characterization of biomaterials, including hydrogels. Basic techniques employed include cell culture, hydrogel/biomaterial synthesis, mechanical characterization (rheology, nanoindentation), microscopy (light/fluorescence), and image analysis.

Prerequisites:
Introductory courses in chemistry and biology as well as rudimentary computer skills are preferred but not required.

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
https://caliarilab.com/

Department:
Chemical Engineering

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Nanotechnology and Materials Chemistry

About the lab:
Student will work on a project currently funded by a NSF grant. The goal of the project is to understand how electrons move between nanoparticles connected with different organic molecules. The student will perform nanoparticle synthesis and characterization.

Prerequisites:
Chemistry laboratories courses (general chemistry and organic chemistry)

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
https://engineering.virginia.edu/choi-lab

Department:
Engineering Systems and Environment

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Civil and Environmental Engineering

About the lab:
Computer modeling and analysis of water resources systems. Models to predicting flooding impacts, particularly in coastal communities.

Prerequisites:
GIS, Python, and Excel are all helpful tools to know. It is possible to learn these during your time. The work will be primarily computer-based.

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
http://uvahydroinformatics.org

Department:
Engineering Systems and Environment

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Infrastructure, mixed reality, visualization

About the lab:
Developing immersive visualizations tools that help visualize engineering tasks such as analysis and engineering design of buildings and bridges and training future engineers using emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality and computer vision.

Prerequisites:
While prior significant experience is NOT essential for this position, interest and familiarity with any of the following items is helpful:

- Programming languages (e.g. Python, Matlab, C/ C++, Xcode, etc.) and Linux
- Mobile app development
- Game engines (e.g. Unity) and AR/VR tools
- 3D modeling and visualization
- Computer vision, image and signal processing, machine learning

Specific project(s) available:
With the continued evolution of technology, there is an increasing demand for cost-effective and flexible tools and solutions that can be used to facilitate engineering analysis and design, and train future engineers. The research we are pursuing centers on leveraging emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and computer vision to enhance different aspects of engineering processes. The research will focus on exploring relevant technologies and data processing to achieve this goal. Examples of some of the tools and technologies that can be explored include:

• Virtual and Augmented Reality, Microsoft HoloLens
• Cellphones and Mobile Devices
• Computer Vision
• Robotic autonomous systems

The student will have access to and receive training with the suite of tools at our laboratory that include various VR and AR headsets including the Microsoft HoloLens, camera systems, laser scanners, high-performance computing resources, and various sensing technologies. A few of the projects we are currently focusing on where the student can contribute include:

• Developing immersive visualizations for augmented and remote learning of engineering courses
• Using AR and VR for remote engineering work (e.g. inspecting structures)
• Developing smart detection apps for smartphones and drones that use artificial intelligence

The student will also have the opportunity to maximize the learning outcomes through engaging with the current members of the research group and working with graduate students and postdoctoral mentors who support the activities of these projects. These projects are expected to help the student obtain training, experience, and skills in the above-mentioned technologies, while also resulting in products such as demos, apps, code, and research publications.

Web site:
https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/devin-k-harris

Department:
Chemical Engineering

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Energy Storage/Batteries

About the lab:
We are working on new materials and electrode designs for batteries and other energy storage devices. We are focused on synthesis, fabrication, characterization, modelling, and/or evaluation of battery materials. Depending on the project, typically students are involved in one or more of the following: synthesis of new materials, fabrication of electrodes and/or cells, characterization of materials and/or cells, simulation of electrochemical systems, and evaluation of battery properties/performance.
Students need to be comfortable in a chemical lab environment. Some computer skills and computational analysis would be helpful – especially if a simulation project is pursued. Completion of introductory engineering coursework would also be helpful. Students will learn to understand, analyze, and present experimental results, and will gain knowledge on the function and evaluation of electrochemical systems, in particular batteries.

Prerequisites:
Helpful courses include chemistry laboratory coursework, programming (we most often use Matlab or Python, and have lots of coded examples), and introductory engineering coursework.

Specific project(s) available:
We have two main research themes in our group. The first is flow batteries, which are relevant grid scale energy storage. This project includes fabrication and characterization of new membrane materials, building and analyzing the integrated energy storage system/cell, and technoeconomic modeling for insights into relevant material and operating conditions optimization.
The second theme is extremely thick electrodes for small form factor batteries (e.g., for wearable health applications). This project includes new battery materials synthesis and characterization, electrode fabrication and characterization, and full cell testing and in some cases integration into applications. We also have done extensive modelling of the thick electrode electrochemical system. Students would have a summer project which explores one aspect of the larger themes in the group.

Web site:
https://engineering.virginia.edu/koenig-research-group

Department:
Environmental Sciences

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Atmospheric science: Climate variability and change

About the lab:
My research group focuses on understanding how and why atmospheric wind and weather patterns (jet streams, low- and high-pressure systems, etc.) change and vary over time. Over the 21st century, computer models project that the Hadley circulation, the large-scale atmospheric circulation in the tropics, will widen, pushing arid subtropical regions further poleward. Likewise, regions of heavy precipitation associated with the midlatitude jet streams are also projected to shift poleward.
Current research goals focus on 1) understanding the role that clouds play in these circulation changes and 2) isolating the potential impacts of these circulation changes for regional climate change in the United States. A student working on this project should expect to gain experience with scientific computing and statistics. Specifically, a student will learn how to read in and manipulate large climate data sets, apply statistical techniques to isolate patterns of climate variability and change, and plot maps of the resulting patterns to interpret and display.

Prerequisites:
Prior experience with computer programming is recommended but not required.

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
https://uva.theopenscholar.com/kevin-grise/research

Department:
Environmental Sciences

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Atmospheric Science

About the lab:
We are a group of atmospheric scientists in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia studying tropical hydroclimatology. More specifically, we use field campaign observations, satellite data, and cloud resolving models to study the physical processes controlling deep convection and heavy precipitation on small scales.
We also use general circulation models of varying complexity to study the interactions between clouds/convection/precipitation and the large-scale atmospheric circulation across scales in the tropics, as well as Earth System Models at global and regional scales to improve our understanding of hydroclimatological changes in a warming world.

Prerequisites:
One course in atmospheric sciences is ideal but not necessary. Introductory physics, chemistry, calculus, and statistics are also ideal but not necessary.

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
https://schiro.evsc.virginia.edu

Department:
Environmental Sciences

Area of research and sub-discipline:
Glaciers and ice sheets; geoscience and glaciology

About the lab:
The Ice & Ocean Group is a research group in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia focused on glacier and ice sheet behavior, subglacial environments, and ice-ocean interactions. The distinct sediments and landforms preserved in deglaciated terrains allow us to track past and current glacial system change, as well as glacial and marine processes.

Prerequisites:
Having taken an introduction to geology/earth sciences/environmental sciences course and knowledge of sedimentology would be helpful, but not required.

Specific project(s) available:
Investigating glacier and ocean change using sediments from the Antarctic seafloor and coastal cliffs in Washington state.

Web site:
http://www.iceocean.org/

Department:
Learning Design & Technology

Area of research and sub-discipline:
STEM Education/Immersive Technologies

About the lab:
The UVA STEM Immersive Community of Practice consists of faculty from various STEM disciplines as well as an instructional designer and an instructional technologist. Our focus is on exploring the potential of immersive technologies to improve STEM education in higher education. Immersive technologies include virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality hardware, software, and development environments.
We are in need of determined students to build software prototypes. Many of our ideas are “pre-proposal” and need to be tested as prototypes prior to the group seeking grant funding. These software prototypes vary depending on the discipline, but all require curiosity about and enthusiasm to learn coding, designing, and hardware integration best practices related to immersive technologies.

Prerequisites:
An ideal applicant would already have some familiarity with immersive hardware as well as the processes and skills needed to develop software for immersive hardware. Specifically, we would like students who know C# and the Unity development environment and / or 3D modeling in Blender, but also welcome applications from students who know other coding languages / IDEs / 3D modeling software as well as those who know they would like to learn.

Specific project(s) available:
TBD

Web site:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gail-Hunger