Arsalan Heydarian

About
Arsalan Heydarian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as the UVA Link Lab. His research focuses on the user-centered design, construction, and operation of intelligent infrastructure, aiming to enhance sustainability, adaptability, and resilience. His work is organized into four primary research streams: (1) intelligent built environments, (2) mobility and infrastructure design, (3) smart transportation, and (4) data-driven mixed reality. Dr. Heydarian holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and an M.Sc. in Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC), along with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. He is also a co-founder of the Omni Reality and Cognition Lab (ORCL Lab), a cutting-edge facility that utilizes virtual and augmented reality technologies to study human behavior and responses to various infrastructure designs.
I'm interested in integrating human considerations within the design and operation of our infrastructure systems. Specifically, my research focuses on how our buildings and cars can sense our behaviors and collaborate with us in achieving our personal goals or how transportation systems should be designed to accommodate all users by enhancing well-being, safety and comfort.