Core team
Laura E. Barnes
Associate Director, Link Lab · Director, S²He Lab
Laura Barnes is a professor in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering. She is the Associate Director of Link Lab and directs the Sensing Systems for Health Lab which focuses on designing impactful, technology-enabled solutions for improving health and well-being. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of South Florida. Laura's work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Aerospace, US Army, and private foundations.
Dr. Mark Rucker
Mark is an engineer and researcher at the University of Virginia, where he leads Digital Trails and builds infrastructure to power AI research on modern consumer devices like smartphones, smartwatches, and wearable health trackers. Mark completed his PhD in Systems Engineering at UVA, specializing in online and reinforcement learning for personalized digital mental health interventions.
Ibrahim Anjum
Ibrahim is a software developer working across mobile, web, and Azure to maintain and build Digital Trails — a research platform that collects data from health trackers, surveys, and more. Ibrahim has over a decade of experience developing cross-platform mobile apps.
Russell Rivers
Russ has been with UVA since 2017 and has worked across Grounds in different capacities with multiple departments, institutions, and schools. Most recently, he has been managing a UVA-funded Grand Challenge at the Link Lab in the School of Engineering and Applied Science focused on expanding and improving digital technology through smart infrastructure and helping develop proposals for grant funding toward this end. With over 8 years of project management experience, Russ supports the team with communication and organization skills, institutional knowledge, and the drive to succeed in any endeavor. He lives in Staunton, VA with his wife, two children, and the family dog, Barley.
