Christopher Passaglia

Christopher Passaglia is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Medical Engineering at the University of South Florida, affiliated with both the College of Engineering and Morsani College of Medicine. His research focuses on Vision Systems, Neural Signal Processing, Retinal Physiology, and Bioinstrumentation. He holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Neuroscience from Syracuse University (1997) and a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University (1998–2003).

His research investigates how neural networks in the eye encode visual information under healthy and diseased conditions, with applications in developing ocular devices and therapeutic strategies. Recent grants include a National Institutes of Health R01 for continuous intraocular pressure measurement in glaucoma. He teaches courses such as Biomedical Signals and Systems Analysis and Engineering Physiology.

• Research Highlights: Glaucoma modeling, neural signal analysis, and medical device innovation.
• Key Awards: 2022 USF Excellence in Research Award, NSF CAREER Award (2006), and multiple honors from ophthalmology societies.

Dr. Passaglia leads the Ocular Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Lab, which has produced notable advancements in intraocular pressure monitoring and axonal regeneration therapies. His lab supports students and postdocs in translating engineering principles to clinical applications.