Laura Barnes

Laura Barnes is a Professor in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia, and Associate Director of the Link Lab. She directs the Sensing Systems for Health Lab, focusing on technology-enabled health solutions. Her academic background includes a B.S. in Computer Science from Texas Tech University (2003), and M.S. (2007) and Ph.D. (2008) in Computer Science from the University of South Florida.

Research interests span wireless health, human-machine interfaces, biomedical data sciences, and machine learning applications. Current projects include wearable sensor systems for mental health monitoring, clinician-patient communication frameworks (CommSense), and mobile interventions for anxiety reduction. Funding sources include NIH, National Institute of Aerospace, and the U.S. Army.

Recent publications emphasize real-time monitoring, digital phenotyping, and context-aware interventions. Key themes include leveraging large language models for health analysis, developing scalable mobile sensing frameworks, and addressing health equity through technology.

• Labs/Teams: Sensing Systems for Health Lab, Link Lab
• Grants: NIH-funded projects on medication adherence and sleep disturbance analysis