J. Scott VanEpps

J. Scott VanEpps is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. He serves as Associate Director for the Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation and is faculty in the Biointerfaces Institute. Dr. VanEpps is also a Center Member of multiple institutes including the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center, Weil Institute for Critical Care Research, Biointerfaces Institute, Global REACH Center, Taubman Institute, e-Health and Artificial Intelligence Initiative, and MM-PKUHSC Joint Institute.

Dr. VanEpps received dual Bachelor's degrees with Summa Cum Laude honors from the University of Pittsburgh in Molecular Biology and Chemical Engineering (1996-2001). He then completed both an MD and PhD in Bioengineering through the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh (2001-2009). Following this, he completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of Michigan/St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (2009-2013) and a Research Fellowship in Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan (2013-2015).

Dr. VanEpps' research focuses on life-threatening infections, particularly those related to implantable medical devices. His work spans three main areas: rapid diagnostics for bloodstream infection, antimicrobial nanomaterials to prevent bacterial adhesion, and in situ treatment strategies for biofilm-related infections. His laboratory has developed culture-free diagnostic platforms that can identify pathogens and determine antibiotic susceptibility in hours rather than days. In nanomaterials research, his team has engineered shape-specific nanoparticles that function as enzyme inhibitors with potential as next-generation antibiotics. For biofilm treatment, his lab has pioneered thermal and mechanical approaches to disrupt biofilms on medical devices while preserving tissue integrity.

Dr. VanEpps' recent scholarly output demonstrates a strong focus on translating basic science discoveries into clinical applications. His work spans from fundamental nanomaterial characterization to clinical implementation of rapid diagnostics. A notable trend is the integration of multiple approaches—combining nanotechnology, microbiology, and engineering principles to address complex clinical problems in infection management. His research increasingly incorporates machine learning for sepsis prediction and leverages host-pathogen interactions to develop more targeted therapies.

Dr. VanEpps was awarded the SAEM Organizational Advancement Award in May 2024 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. His work has been supported by numerous grants including NIH R01 funding for developing heat-based therapies for central line infections, Coulter Translational Research Partnership funding for rapid extracellular vesicle isolation, and multiple awards from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for antimicrobial device development.

Dr. VanEpps actively mentors students and researchers at various levels, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. His mentees include Zoe Meyer, Emine Turali-Emre, Linqi Huang, Thomas White, Derek Fukuda, and Rachel Cohn. His research program is supported by substantial grant funding, with current projects totaling millions of dollars, including NIH R01 grants, Department of Defense funding, and industry partnerships focused on combating antimicrobial resistance and improving sepsis outcomes.

Dr. VanEpps leads the VanEpps Lab, which operates at the intersection of emergency medicine, critical care, and engineering. The lab maintains an active biorepository of patient samples from emergency department presentations with suspected systemic infection, which serves as a valuable resource for evaluating novel diagnostics. The lab collaborates extensively across disciplines, working with microbiologists, materials scientists, engineers, and clinicians to develop innovative solutions for life-threatening infections.