BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.3//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:15@researchweek.unc.edu DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261021T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261021T150000 DTSTAMP:20260831T142209Z URL:https://researchweek.unc.edu/events/open-lab-tour-unc-biobehavioral-la b/ SUMMARY:Open Lab Tour: UNC Biobehavioral Lab DESCRIPTION:Discovering the Science Behind Biobehavioral Health Research\n\ nThe UNC Biobehavioral Lab (BBL) invites students\, researchers\, faculty\ , and community members to explore how innovative laboratory technologies can help researchers better understand the complex relationships among beh avior\, stress\, physiology\, and health.\nThe UNC Biobehavioral Lab was e stablished to provide a shared research environment where investigators ca n integrate behavioral\, physiological\, and biological measurements to ad vance health research. Under the leadership of Dr. Grace Wu\, the BBL has expanded its capabilities to support both laboratory- and field-based rese arch across a variety of populations and health conditions.\n\nWhat Visito rs Will See\n\nVisitors will learn how biological samples can be collected \, processed\, stored\, and analyzed\, as well as how digital-based physio logical and behavioral measurements can be collected in controlled laborat ory environments and in participants’ everyday lives. The tour will also highlight how the BBL uses minimally invasive technologies to collect bio marker and physiological data. These measurements can be integrated with f ield-based behavioral and health data\, providing researchers with a more complete picture of the factors that influence health and well-being.\n\nD emonstrations and Research Technologies\n\nThe Open Lab Tour will include demonstrations of several technologies used in biobehavioral research.\n\n Hair and Nail Sample Processing\nVisitors will learn about the use of biol ogical samples such as hair and nails in health research. The Mixer Mill M M400 will be demonstrated as an example of laboratory equipment used to pr ocess and homogenize solid biological samples into a powder that can be fu rther analyzed for biological markers. This approach allows researchers to explore biological information contained within minimally invasive specim ens and may be particularly useful for studies examining longer-term physi ological or environmental exposures.\n\nMultiplex Biomarker Analysis\nThe tour will introduce visitors to two platforms used for multiplex biomarker analysis: the Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) platform and the Luminex platfor m. Using dried blood spots and other biological specimens such as tears an d urine\, these technologies allow researchers to measure multiple protein -based biomarkers from a single sample with low concertation of target mar kers.\n\nExploring Biological Samples Under the Microscope\nVisitors will also see biological samples under a microscope. A demonstration will inclu de viewing cancer cells under the microscope\, providing visitors with a c lose-up look at cellular structures and illustrating how researchers can e xamine biological changes at the cellular level.\n\nField- and Home-Based Research Equipment\nA major focus of the BBL is bringing research beyond t he traditional laboratory. Visitors will see examples of equipment that re searchers can use to collect health data in participants’ homes and ever yday environments.\nDemonstrations will include:\n ActiGraph wearable dev ices and software\, which collect and analyze activity and sleep data from a participant’s wrist. These devices allow researchers to objectively m onitor physical activity\, sedentary behavior\, and sleep patterns in part icipants’ everyday environments.\n Handheld and portable electrocardiog raphy (ECG) devices. Visitors will see how these devices can capture real- time cardiac electrical activity in a convenient and minimally invasive ma nner. Portable ECG technologies can be particularly valuable for field-bas ed and home-based research.\n WatchPAT ONE\, a portable home sleep-apnea testing device that allows researchers to assess sleep-related physiologic al measures in participants’ home environments.\n Toss-Caterpillar whol e blood collection methods\, which provide a convenient approach for colle cting small blood samples from arms for biomarker research.\n Point-of-ca re HbA1c testing equipment\, which can provide information about long-term blood glucose control.\n Point-of-care lipid and glucose testing equipme nt\, allowing researchers to obtain metabolic measurements efficiently dur ing home visits or in field settings.\n\nBodPod Body Composition Assessmen t\nVisitors will also see the BodPod\, a noninvasive system used to assess body composition through air-displacement technology. Unlike methods that require extensive physical measurements or invasive procedures\, the BodP od uses changes in air pressure to estimate body composition. This technol ogy allows researchers to obtain information about body composition effici ently and noninvasively.\n\nAn Opportunity to Explore Research in Action\n \nThe UNC Biobehavioral Lab Open Lab Tour offers visitors a behind-the-sce nes look at how modern health research is conducted. Rather than simply le arning about research methods in a classroom or textbook\, visitors will b e able to see the equipment\, spaces\, and technologies that researchers u se to collect meaningful biological and physiological data both in the lab and in the field settings. We welcome students\, trainees\, faculty\, res earchers\, alumni\, and anyone interested in learning more about how biobe havioral science and real-world health research come together at the UNC B iobehavioral Lab.\n\nThis is an in-person event.\n\n \; ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://researchweek.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/ 2026/08/mm_fav_01162026_grace_wu_0004_.jpg CATEGORIES:In-person Event,School of Nursing LOCATION:ITS Manning Building\, 211 Manning Drive\, Chapel Hill\, NC\, 2759 9\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=211 Manning Drive\, Chapel Hill\, NC\, 27599\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=ITS Manning B uilding:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR