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Two UVA Teams Earn Funding for PFAS Testing and AI Training
The Centrifuge at the University of Virginia School of Data Science is a catalyst program that accelerates visionary projects for a future-forward university. Championed by the Futures Initiative Working Group, the program heard final pitch presentations from the four finalist projects at “Spinning Up the Future” on April 21. The expert panel of judges awarded two Futures Grants totaling $110,000.
A panel, including UVA School of Architecture Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Community Engagement C.L. Bohannon, Charlottesville City Councilwoman Jen Fleisher, and former principal and chief commercial officer of WillowTree Mike Moore, evaluated each pitch on vision, feasibility, and potential impact.
An award of $75,000 in project funding was given to “Addressing Unmet Community Needs for Affordable, Accessible 'Forever Chemical' Testing.” The panel was impressed by the potential environmental and public health impact of the project.
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“We felt like this was above and beyond,” Fleisher told the winning presenters. “You connected this innovative product that will really have a huge impact on the communities that will leverage that technology.”
Additionally, the panel allocated $35,000 to “Building Intelligent Worlds: AI-Powered Extended Reality for Research and Training in Healthcare, Transportation, and Aviation,” supporting the University’s Omni-Reality and Cognition Lab’s (ORCL) mission for improved training in technical fields.
Forever Chemicals
The winning pitch, “Addressing Unmet Community Needs for Affordable, Accessible 'Forever Chemical' Testing,” was presented by a team of interdisciplinary researchers hoping to make PFAS testing more accessible. Professor of chemical engineering Bryan Berger, professor of biology and public health science Michael P. Timko, and Don’t Spread On Me representative Stuart Overbey began by establishing that PFAS, also called “forever chemicals,” are persistent and ubiquitous, taking over 1,000 years to fully biodegrade.
The team developed a low-cost biosensor that can detect PFAS in water and soil for under $1 per sample. Berger emphasized that traditional PFAS testing is expensive and slow, typically costing around $300-$600 per test and taking around 10 days to receive results. The team has already implemented testing and regional support in Maine, and hopes to put rapid, accessible testing in the hands of people who need it most.
“The goal is to help individuals make informed decisions and protect their communities,” Berger said. The initiative has already gained support from numerous Virginia community partners. The team sees implementation for the tests everywhere from testing household items to providing infrastructure support in testing local waterways.
Generative AI for Healthcare
“Building Intelligent Worlds: AI-Powered Extended Reality for Research and Training in Healthcare, Transportation, and Aviation” won second place. The team included associate professor of engineering Arsalan Heydarian and School of Environmental Engineering faculty T. Donna Chen, Devin Harris, and Ryan W. Henry, as well as associate professor of emergency medicine Margaret K. Sande.
Heydarian outlined a project that uses generative AI to power adaptive, immersive training environments for nurses, VDOT transportation technicians, and air traffic controllers. This innovative XR, extended reality learning could replace static simulations with immersive experiences that could respond in real time to each learner. Heydarian noted that XR learning has become cheaper while studies have shown that it helps students learn faster and the information “sticks” better. He explained that the technology could also address accessibility concerns, especially for rural communities.
The funding will support the University’s ORCL, which he says has journeyed from a single bicycle simulator in 2019 to a now multi-domain XR research lab. “Let's create content and interactive environments where we can not only learn and train but also have a lot of experiences built into it,” Heydarian said.
A Chatbot for Dementia Caregivers
The project, “Developing a Chatbot to Support Family Dementia Caregivers: DARCI,” included assistant professor of data science Nur Yildirim, assistant professor of neurology Virginia Gallagher, and Quantitative Foundation Distinguished Professor of Data Science Don Brown.
Co-leaders Gallagher and Yildirim cited dementia as a public and family health crisis, with over 60% of dementia caregivers reporting high stress levels. The chatbot uses retrieval-augmented AI to provide accurate and localized guidance.
The presentation noted that the bot could serve the 99% of UVA dementia patient’s families who currently have no access to a care coordinator, bridging artificial intelligence research to actionable change in the lives of dementia-affected families. DARCI provides customizable settings to choose between tone, response style, and locality, allowing caregivers to receive 24/7 support.
Real World Applications for Research
“A Solutions Lab in Energy and Infrastructure” was pitched by Jonah Fogel, program manager for research development and education at the UVA Environmental Institute. The team behind the lab included Fogel, Interim Dean of the Darden School of Business Michael Lenox, UVA Career Center Director of Experiential Learning David Lapinski, and The Foundry Director Brian Breslin.
Fogel introduced the “Solutions Lab” as a new, university-wide innovation platform designed to connect academic research with real-world applications, particularly in areas like energy and infrastructure. Building on earlier programs, the initiative brings together faculty, administrators, industry partners, and students to translate research into practical solutions while also preparing students for the workforce. Fogel emphasized that shifts in funding, away from purely theoretical research and toward “use-inspired” and industry-supported work, make this model especially timely and provide the University a leg-up in industry-sponsored research.
Spinning up the Future
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Jason Nabi, program manager for the Futures Initiative, understands the importance of anticipating the immense changes that the University must confront. “The Futures Initiative Working Group wrestled with far reaching questions about how UVA can future proof itself,” he said. “What we’ve developed is multidisciplinary, solution-oriented, and rooted in genuine partnership with the public, for which there is no established playbook.”
Nabi additionally thanked the late Philip E. Bourne, founding dean of the School of Data Science and inspiration behind the Futures Initiative. “Carrying this work forward or onwards, as Phil liked to say, is one way we honor his enormous legacy.”
