Viola Vogel

Prof. Viola Vogel is a Full Professor at ETH Zurich's Department of Health Sciences and Technology, leading the Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology. Trained as a Physicist at Frankfurt University and postdoc at UC Berkeley, she transitioned to bioengineering, founding the University of Washington's Center for Nanotechnology before joining ETH in 2004. She chairs the department (2018–2020) and holds roles at the Wyss Translational Center Zurich and Berlin Institute of Health. Her research focuses on mechanobiology, particularly how mechanical forces regulate protein and cellular functions, with applications in regenerative medicine and nanotechnology.

Education:

• Bachelor's in Physics, Frankfurt University
• Graduate Research, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, UC Berkeley Department of Physics

Research Interests:

• Mechanochemical switches in proteins
• Extracellular matrix mechanics in health/disease
• Mechanotransduction in stem cells and immune cells
• Biomedical applications of mechanobiology

Awards:

• Member of National Academy of Engineering (2020)
• Member of National Academy of Sciences (2021)
• Fellow, British Royal Academy of Engineering (2023)
• Recipient of Otto-Hahn Medal, ERC Advanced Grant, and International Solvay Chair

Advising & Grants:

• Jury Member, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
• Former Board Member of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich
• Recipient of NIH First Award, NSF grants, and industry partnerships

Labs & Collaborations:

• Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zurich
• Interdisciplinary projects with Charité Berlin and Kantonsspital Baden