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.

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

12/03/2025

NeurIPS 2025 is officially underway through December 7th in San Diego, California!

The conference features invited talks, demonstrations, and presentations of peer-reviewed research. This year, Old Dominion University Research Scientist with the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies, Dr. Chetan Kumar, is presenting "AI-Driven Temporal Super-Resolution for Flooding Prediction in Norfolk, Virginia” during the "Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning" workshop on Dec 7th.

This work, done in collaboration with researchers at ODU, Jefferson Lab, and the University of Virginia, uses deep learning and specialized neural networks to generate high-frequency, detailed time-series flood data that improves flood predictions in Norfolk, Virginia.

Good luck and congratulations!

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

Conference Link: https://neurips.cc/Conferences/2025
Workshop Link: https://www.climatechange.ai/events/neurips2025

12/01/2025

Here are some snapshots of our recent workshop with Chesapeake Public Schools at HRBRC HQ!

Roughly 30 students visited us and explored the world of advanced computing. They participated in three hands-on mini-workshops organized and led by team members Dr. Jonathan Colen, Dr. Achyut Paudel, Patrick Ball, and Caleb Ralph.

We had a great time teaching students firsthand about how technology drives research and real-world impact through the innovative work underway at the HRBRC!!

11/27/2025

Warm Thanksgiving wishes from all of us at the HRBRC!

We’re grateful to every member of our team, our partners, and our community who fuel and uplift our mission to drive health, research, and innovation in and beyond Hampton Roads.

11/24/2025

Update on our Infant Lumbar Puncture Training Model project with the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and the Sentara Center for Healthcare Simulation and Immersive Learning!

In the project’s first phase, HRBRC team members Patrick Ball and Caleb Ralph used the Stratasys J850 3D printer to develop and print a clear, silicon-encased model of the infant spine, which is equipped to simulate the lumbar puncture procedure and even aspirate fluid.

The team has since been working on the design for the entire infant training model, which suspends the infant spine designed in phase 1 in a 3D-printed mold and fills the mold with silicon.

Stay tuned!

11/19/2025

This week's Community Partner highlight is on the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD)!

CHKD is the only full-service, freestanding children's hospital in Virginia and the heart of a comprehensive pediatric health system serving the medical, surgical, and mental health needs of children throughout Hampton Roads and surrounding regions.

As a key Community Partner, CHKD clinicians and researchers work via the HRBRC with researchers and scientists across Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, and Sentara Health on research initiatives in pediatric asthma and respiratory illness, air quality, and children's mental health, among others. CHKD has also long worked with and continues to work with other community organizations and HRBRC affiliates across myriad initiatives that strengthen community bonds and promote the health and well-being of children and their families.

To learn more about CHKD follow this link: https://www.chkd.org/

Address

1070 University Boulevard , Suite 2105
Portsmouth, VA
23703

Website

http://hrbrc.org/

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