Emily Vargas is the new Program Manager of the Climate Impact Lab at the University of Chicago, with a background that connects program management, scientific expertise, and federal policy impact.
Emily earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and subsequently completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in cardiovascular disease epidemiology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. She continued her career at Northwestern University as a Research Assistant Professor supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant. Emily’s foundational expertise lies in the psychosocial determinants of health and well-being.
She transitions from her role as a Program Officer at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington D.C., where she managed complex, high-profile studies that delivered evidence-based recommendations to the federal government. Her impact includes coordinating expert teams, leading comprehensive resource and risk management, and producing scientific reports that were globally cited and that shaped the drafting of legislation. Emily represented the National Academies in critical forums, including delivering briefings to Congress and working closely with partners across the NIH, National Science Foundation (NSF), and branches of the U.S. military.