Dr. Emily A. Vargas, PhD

Dr. Vargas is a Program Officer at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in Washington, D.C. In this position, she is working to advance the mission of NASEM, which is to provide independent, objective advice to inform policy with evidence, spark progress and innovation, and confront challenging issues for the benefit of the nation and society.

Prior to this position, she was a Research Assistant Professor in Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, funded by an NIH-supplement grant to research multi-level psychosocial assets and their association with cardiovascular health.

Dr. Vargas completed her PhD in Psychology at the University of Michigan in 2019, and completed her Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the NIH funded-T32 research training program in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in 2021. Her research focused on the intersection of individual’s marginalized identities & psychosocial factors, and how they impact psychological and cardiovascular health. Her work aimed to promote individual empowerment and health equity.