Research Interests
Musculoskeletal tissue repair, disease biophysics and organ-on-a-chip technology
Bio
Shyni Varghese has a triple appointment in the Duke departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and Orthopaedic Surgery. She is the first MEDx Investigator.
A leader in the field of biomaterials and stem cells, Varghese will develop her research at Duke in three major areas:
- Musculoskeletal tissue repair
- Disease biophysics, and
- Organ-on-a-chip technology
A new initiative of the Pratt School of Engineering and Duke School of Medicine, Duke MEDx seeks to enhance and form new collaborations between doctors and engineers.
Education
- Ph.D. National Chemical Laboratory (India), 2002
Positions
- Laszlo Ormandy Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
- Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
- Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center
Courses Taught
- NEUROSCI 494: Research Independent Study 2
- EGR 393: Research Projects in Engineering
- BME 792: Continuation of Graduate Independent Study
- BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
- BME 590: Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
- BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
- BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
In the News
- Three Engineering Projects to Build Greener Materials (Feb 25, 2025 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Injecting Hope (Nov 12, 2024 | Duke Today)
- Protecting Bones from Cancer Treatment (Dec 5, 2023 | School of Medicine)
- Organ-on-a-chip: Better Health Care Through Superior Drug Testing (Nov 24, 2021 | Duke Science & Technology)
- Soft Robotic Dragonfly Signals Environmental Disruptions (Mar 25, 2021 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- A Crystal Ball for the Decade Ahead (Jan 9, 2020)
- Engineering a Better Bandage to Promote Faster Healing (Dec 13, 2019 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Big Ideas on a Small Chip Surface (Nov 1, 2019 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Researchers ID Pharmaceutical Target That Reverses Osteoporosis in Mice (Aug 22, 2019 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Shyni Varghese: Making Miniature Models of Muscles, Bones and Tumors (Nov 18, 2016 | Pratt School of Engineering)
Representative Publications
- Madhurakkat Perikamana, Sajeesh Kumar, Vardhman Kumar, Pankaj Mogha, Lavonia Duncan, Nikki Angel, Aleksandra Tata, Sairam V. Jabba, Sven Eric Jordt, Purushothama Rao Tata, and Shyni Varghese. “Modeling functional responses to pollutant exposure using modular hydrogel supported vascularized alveolosphere-on-a-chip.” Biomater Sci 13, no. 21 (October 21, 2025): 6046–57. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5bm00552c.
- Sun, Tongyu, Yueyuan Xu, Nicole Angel, Luna Chen, Kan Zhang, Brenton D. Hoffman, Jianhong Ou, Zhipeng Meng, Shyni Varghese, and Yarui Diao. “A subset of transposable elements as mechano-response enhancer elements in controlling human embryonic stem cell fate.” Nat Cell Biol 27, no. 10 (October 2025): 1785–96. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-025-01770-2.
- Kisby, Cassandra K., Sam Faraguna, Abigail Hitt, Ilya Y. Shadrin, Hunter Newman, Anna Gilpin, Cindy L. Amundsen, and Shyni Varghese. “Exosome injection as a prevention strategy for early postoperative mesh complications in a porcine model of sacrocolpopexy.” NPJ Regen Med 10, no. 1 (September 29, 2025): 43. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-025-00432-z.
- Li, Jiaoni, Yu-Ru Vernon Shih, Huchen Tao, Mitchell Negus, Jeffrey Bohrer Guerra, and Shyni Varghese. “Extensive Periosteal Injury During Fracture Induces Long-Term Pain in Mice.” J Orthop Res 43, no. 6 (June 2025): 1155–63. https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.26067.
- Natesh, Naveen R., and Shyni Varghese. “Advances and challenges in human 3D solid tumor models.” Adv Funct Mater 35, no. 20 (May 16, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202419912.