Elizabeth Vargis

Elizabeth Vargis is an Associate Professor in Biological Engineering at Utah State University's College of Engineering. She serves as the faculty advisor for the Society of Women Engineers and maintains an active research laboratory focused on biomedical engineering applications. Her work bridges engineering principles with biological systems to address significant medical challenges.

Dr. Vargis received her educational training from prestigious institutions:

• BS in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley
• MS in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University
• PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University
• Postdoctoral training at Oak Ridge National Lab and UT Knoxville

Her research spans three primary domains with significant clinical relevance. In biophotonics, she develops Raman spectroscopy applications for disease detection, including work on cervical cancer screening and bacterial identification. Her retinal tissue engineering research focuses on creating in vitro models to understand age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, with particular emphasis on the role of mechanical stress and cell detachment. Additionally, her work on muscular atrophy investigates the effects of microgravity on muscle tissue, with applications for both space travel and terrestrial medical conditions. Her lab employs a combination of experimental techniques and computational modeling to advance these research areas.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward increasingly sophisticated in vitro models of retinal diseases, with growing integration of microfluidic technologies and biomimetic materials. Her work has evolved from basic characterization studies to complex disease modeling systems that incorporate mechanical, biochemical, and structural components of retinal pathologies. The interdisciplinary nature of her research is evident in the diverse range of journals where she publishes, spanning biomedical engineering, ophthalmology, and space medicine.

Dr. Vargis has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing both her research and mentorship excellence:

• Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year (2018, USU College of Engineering)
• Outstanding Researcher of the Year (2018, Department of Biological Engineering)
• Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2015, ORAU)
• Multiple Research Catalyst Awards from Utah State University
• National Science Foundation recognition and NIH fellowships

She has successfully mentored numerous graduate students to completion of their degrees, with many going on to successful careers in industry and academia. Her research has been supported by diverse funding sources including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NIH, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, NASA Space Grant Consortium, and private foundations like the BrightFocus Foundation and Knights Templar Eye Foundation. She actively promotes undergraduate research opportunities through USU's URCO program and the College of Engineering's EURP program.

The Vargis Lab operates as a dynamic, interdisciplinary research environment with multiple concurrent projects. Current work includes developing microfluidic platforms for retinal disease modeling, creating biomimetic materials using spider and hagfish silk proteins, and investigating the combined effects of microgravity and radiation on biological systems. The lab maintains strong collaborations with researchers in Electrical and Computer Engineering, particularly with Dr. Zhen Zhang on computational modeling of blood vessel growth. Lab meetings are held weekly during academic terms, fostering a collaborative environment where students present their work and receive feedback.