Improving research capability with high-performance computing
Biomedical engineering students share how VCU’s High Performance Research Computing core facility aids their investigations
By Allura Zahradnick
Quietly powering some of Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) most ambitious research is the High Performance Research Computing (HPRC) core facility. Led by Preetam Ghosh, Ph.D., HPRC director and professor in the Department of Computer Science, the core facility provides researchers at VCU with advanced computing resources for complex projects. From basic computation to modeling and simulation, the HPRC makes research faster, easier and more collaborative.
For biomedical engineering Ph.D. students, HPRC access can be the difference between efficient research and working overtime in the lab.
Analyzing data on leader cells for breast cancer research
Jessica Williamson, a fourth-year biomedical engineering student, discovered the HPRC while collaborating with Ghosh on a data-heavy project. She now uses the core facility to run R Studio and Jupyter Notebook, programs used to process and analyze large datasets. Williamson’s research focuses on understanding how different cell types communicate within migrating breast cancer tumor clusters, an area that requires processing thousands of single-cell RNA sequencing files at once.
“I use the HPRC to analyze big data files efficiently,” Williamson said. “It’a a privilege to have access to a resource that allows me to run high-throughput data in one central location.”
By working through the HPRC system, Williamson can store data, share files with labmates and remotely access her work from anywhere, all without worrying about hardware or software limitations. Without it her research work would be far more time-consuming and inefficient.
Applying AI to medical imaging
Pascal Yamlome, a fifth-year biomedical engineering Ph.D. student, depends on the same resources for a very different kind of research. His work uses artificial intelligence and medical imaging to predict heart damage in cancer survivors.
Using the HPRC’s GPU and CPU computing power, Yamlome trains deep learning models on cardiac MRI data to identify subtle patterns that indicate cardiovascular toxicity caused by chemotherapy drugs. These results could help doctors, like cardiologists and oncologists, detect heart complications earlier and personalize treatment plans.
“The HPRC allows me to complete analyses in hours that would otherwise take weeks,” Yamlome said. “Without it, the scale, speed and rigor of my research would have been severely limited.”
One resource, many researchers
Shared resources, like the HPRC, can support a diverse range of research. From processing data observed within a single cell to interpreting images of the human heart, the computing environment supports a wide range of investigative possibilities for analysis, testing, modeling, interpretation and more.
With no need for expensive personal servers or specialized lab equipment, the HPRC removes barriers. It offers scalability, speed and accessibility, giving researchers the same computing power used in major industry labs.
“For VCU, the HPRC is more than a technical upgrade; it’s an investment in opportunity,” said Ghosh. “Funds recently awarded by the United States Department of Heath and Human services will advance these capabilities even more. High performance research computing isn’t just about faster results, it’s about enabling discovery. At VCU, the HPRC helps students turn questions into breakthroughs, making big ideas possible.”
The High Performance Research Computing core facility ensures every student and faculty member at VCU has the tools to take on research that modern science requires. Whether modeling biological systems, analyzing medical images or running simulations in other disciplines, the HPRC can support it all.
The Department of Computer Science provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to perform real-world research as soon as they enroll. From designing algorithms to solving complex computing problems to working with cutting-edge AI technology, students gain understanding of many important computing topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Computer Science to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Graduate Student Stories, Student Stories, Undergraduate Student Stories