The NIAID “BioViz” Lab: building resources and cyberinfrastructure to support NIAID staff with virtual reality technology and immersive experiences

Authors

• MC McCarthy
• P Cruz
• V Starr-Kramer
• C Caesar
• A Leavey
• L Mills
• T Pugh
• W Sadoff
• DE Hurt

Abstract

The NIAID Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology (OCICB) manages cyberinfrastructure for the institute and engages in wide variety of biomedical research initiatives. OCICB’s 3D Printing and Biovisualization program is dedicated to supporting NIAID scientists, staff, and the public by helping them to better visualize, understand, and communicate complex biomolecular and anatomical structures and diverse multidimensional datasets through interactive and immersive experiences, including 3D printing and mixed reality technologies. A flagship in the portfolio is the NIAID Biovisualization ("BioViz") Lab, a central resource that provides an array of tools and technologies to facilitate exploration of data using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. The flexibility of the space combined with an interactive video wall, high-resolution displays, and collaboration tools enables teams to capitalize on time spent in the workplace with more engaging sessions. The BioViz Lab is unique in that it combines hardware, software, technical support, and various scientific subject matter expertise. Through this we are able to eliminate the need for individual groups to procure hardware and overcome the learning curve to adopt the technology. We have also addressed a number of critical cyberinfrastructure challenges that allow us to implement wearable technology securely and efficiently in a government enterprise IT environment. Our goal is to provide a seamless experience with the technology, so that staff can focus on carrying out NIAID’s mission. The BioViz Lab is available by appointment in Rockville, MD. All NIH visitors are welcome, but preference for bookings is given to NIAID staff.

Scientific Focus Area: Research Support Services

This page was last updated on Tuesday, August 6, 2024