UVA
RESEARCH
IMPACTS
OUR WORLD.

EVERY DAY.

We share a commitment to IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
that creates a BETTER FUTURE for us all.

As a leading Virginia research university, we are proud to share these inspiring stories that reflect our dedication to innovation and excellence in research. Explore our collection and learn more about the people and discoveries making a difference in our world today and laying the groundwork for future innovations.

Explore our collection of research stories below.

Photo of Kristen Anderson, the person featured in this story, standing in her lab in a white lab coat.

School of Medicine

Finding treatments for resistant cancers

Kristin Anderson is motivated by her own experience surviving breast cancer. Now an immunologist, she leads research to design new therapies for tumors that resist current treatments, hoping to give more patients the same second chance she received.

School of Data Science

Building smarter, safer systems for the real world

Early in his career, David Graham saw how vulnerabilities in software could translate into real-world consequences. In response, he focuses on quality assurance and on how to build digital and physical systems we can trust.

Photo of Chris Kuenze, the person featured in this story, standing next to a woman walking on a treadmill.

School of Education & Human Development

Healing confidence along with torn ligaments

Chris Kuenze is committed to helping athletes recover not just physically, but mentally. Drawing on his own experience with a knee injury, he studies how fear and anxiety after ACL surgery affect long-term activity—and designs interventions that restore confidence alongside strength.

Photo of Kelsey Johnson, the person featured in this story, standing outside.

College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Exploring the origins of the universe

Kelsey Johnson is driven by a deep curiosity about the universe’s most fundamental processes. By analyzing how extreme star clusters, known as super star clusters form, she hopes to gain insights about the physical conditions of the early universe.

Photo of Liheng Cai, the person featured in this story, standing in his lab showing another person a piece of equipment.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Engineering hope with 3D printing and soft materials

Liheng Cai is motivated by a vision of repairing and regenerating human organs. His work pioneering 3D bioprinting and designing ultrasoft, cell-friendly polymers aims to create tissue-like structures that can transform medicine—from artificial transplants to targeted drug delivery for lung diseases.

Photo of Harald Sontheimer, the person featured in this story, standing in his lab in a white lab coat.

School of Medicine

Discovering Why Alzheimer’s Patients Forget Family & Friends

Harald Sontheimer hopes to pave the way for treatments that help Alzheimer's patients remember the people they love by uncovering how the breakdown of protective “nets” around neurons erases social recognition.

UVA Technologies
That Have Likely Helped You or Someone You Know

Restoring Heartbeats

Revolutionizing MRI Machines

Improving Childhood Literacy

Avoiding Brain Surgery

Managing Diabetes

More UVA Research News

UVA-Led National Study Finds Montessori Preschool Boosts Learning, Cuts Costs

Study show children who attended public Montessori preschool demonstrated better in key areas in kindergarten than children who did not have an early Montessori education.

Read About Montessori Study