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University research directory
Research labs at
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Compare 5 listed faculty-led profiles, explore their research interests, and follow the evidence in their selected work. These listings are a starting point for discovery and do not establish recruiting availability.
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Review each lab’s official website and recent publications. Compare the methods used, the questions being asked, and the practical requirements of any published opening. Unclaimed profiles are independently curated; the university has not approved or endorsed them.
How to compare research labs ↗Official university website ↗5 research-led lab profiles
Browse labs by their listed college affiliationApplied Interdisciplinary Research in Air Laboratory
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Linsey Marr · University Distinguished Professor
What determines whether viruses remain infectious as they travel through the air? The lab studies indoor and outdoor pollutants, with particular interest in microorganisms and engineered nanoparticles. Research investigates how these aerosols change in the environment, the mechanisms of influenza transmission and the conditions that inactivate viruses. Other projects quantify gaseous and particulate emissions, characterize airborne microbial communities and assess nanoparticle effects on health and the environment. The work connects air-quality engineering with the physical and biological processes underlying airborne disease transmission.
Michelle Stocker Research Group
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityMichelle Stocker · Associate Professor of Geobiology
How did reptile anatomy and diversity change as ecosystems transformed over geological time? The group investigates macroevolution, comparing fossils with living animals to study diversification and convergent evolution. Research uses comparative anatomy, CT imaging, dissection and fieldwork to connect structural differences with evolutionary relationships. A focus on reptiles examines changes in ecology and the origins of modern faunas through extinction and diversification. The work also asks how evolutionary relationships influence interpretations of fossil ages and ancient geographic distributions, linking specimen-level observations with broader patterns in deep time.
Naren Ramakrishnan Research Group
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityNaren Ramakrishnan · University Distinguished Professor
How can patterns in complex data help researchers anticipate events and make better decisions? The group works on applied machine learning, data science and urban analytics. Research interests include recommender systems, computational epidemiology and visual analytics. Documented projects examine optimization of school boundaries and tools that support interactive redistricting, while related work investigates information extraction from scholarly literature. Participation in pandemic research connects data science with models of disease spread, bringing computational methods to problems that involve both technical predictions and real-world consequences.
Pruden Laboratory
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityAmy Pruden · Professor
How do microbial communities in water and agricultural systems influence the spread of antibiotic resistance? The lab uses next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatics to track pathogens, resistance genes and functional bacterial groups. Research investigates antibiotic-resistance genes as environmental contaminants and examines the microbial ecology of drinking-water systems. Other directions include bioremediation and the environmental effects of nanotechnology. These approaches connect the composition and capabilities of microbial communities with engineering questions about water treatment, agricultural practices and environmental health.
Soft Materials and Structures Lab
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityMichael Bartlett · Associate Professor
How can soft materials be made to grip, stretch or change shape on demand? The lab combines experiments and analysis to investigate relationships between material composition, geometry and programmed deformation. Research develops multifunctional materials through approaches informed by mechanics and biological systems. Documented applications include switchable adhesives, stretchable electronics, soft robots and adaptive structures. The work examines how mechanical behavior can be combined with other useful functions, connecting fundamental material properties with devices that must remain flexible while performing engineered tasks.
Showing 1–5 of 5 labs