Major Research Laboratories
The Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory (NDSSL) at ACDIL is pursuing an advanced computational research and development program for interaction-based modeling, simulation, and associated analysis, experimental design, and decision support tools for understanding large and complex biological, information, social, and technological systems. Extremely detailed, high-resolution, multi-scale computer simulations allow formal and experimental investigation of these systems. The need for such simulations is derived from questions posed by scientists, policy makers, and planners involved with very large complex systems. The simulation applications are underwritten by a theoretical program in discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science that is sustained by more than a decade of experience with the interplay of research and application.
Social and Decision Informatics Laboratory (SDIL) at ACDIL focuses on the use and development of analytical technology in the areas of public health policy, national and international security policy & public and social policy. SDIL will be central to the practical transition of NDSSL-developed science and technology.
The Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory (NIMML) is a research organization founded in 2002 with the mission of understanding fundamental mechanisms of gut enteric immunity and identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets for inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. The NIMML brings together immunologists, computer scientists, mathematicians, biochemists and engineers studying the basic mechanisms of disease processes, but also exploiting new knowledge related to improved understanding of biological systems to more directly bring about cures for important infectious and immune-mediated diseases. The NIMML Director is Dr. Bassaganya-Riera, a Professor of Immunology at Virginia Tech, and has made seminal discoveries in the areas on infectious and immune mediated diseases, including discovering the mechanism of action underlying the anti-inflammatory actions of conjugated linoleic acid Conjugated linoleic acid in inflammatory bowel disease as well as the insulin sensitizing and anti-inflammatory effects of abscisic acid (ABA). The laboratory has a personalized medicine focus and has pioneered applying high-throughput immunology techniques and system biology approaches in immunology research and discovery. Especially, through the Center for Modeling Immunity to Enteric Pathogens Program, NIMML is applying high performance computing techniques to model and simulate human immunology systems and help immunologists conduct quick in silico experiments to narrow down experimental design, validate their hypotheses and save significant time and laboratory cost. The NIMML is co-led by Drs. Bassaganya-Riera and Hontecillas and its research programs have been funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lipid Nutrition, Cognis Nutrition and Health GmbH, BASF, and commodity groups with recent research funding portfolio exceeding $12 million. The NIMML is collaborating with the Center for Global Health at University of Virginia, the Department of Gastroenterology and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and other medical schools and leading several human clinical trials aimed at discovering and developing safer therapies for inflammatory and immune mediated diseases. The NIMML has recently established a partnership with the Division of Gastroenterology at the Carilion Clinic to launch a joint translational research program in inflammatory bowel diseases.
Read more about this topic: Virginia Bioinformatics Institute
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