Vignesh Subbian, PhD

Vignesh Subbian is a collaborative health systems scientist and boundary spanner who works at the nexus of systems engineering, medicine, and informatics. 

With joint appointments in biomedical engineering, systems & industrial engineering, and medicine, he brings distinctive interdisciplinary expertise to the BIO5 Institute. 

His research uniquely leverages systems engineering, human factors, and computational methods to address sociotechnical issues and opportunities in biomedicine and learning health systems. Aligned with this research, he co-leads informatics efforts and research engagement for major NIH initiatives in Arizona, including the All of Us Research Program and the RECOVER Initiative.  

Subbian also brings significant experience in and passion for training programs and discipline-based educational research. He serves as program co-director for three training initiatives: NLM-funded Place-based Health Informatics Research Education (PHIRE) program, NIH-supported Strengthening Arizona’s Biomedical Research Workforce (SABER) program, and the NSF-funded eCAMINOS (engineering pathways) program, with educational research centered on strength-based practices and professional identity formation. 

On May 12, 2025, Subbian stepped into the role of interim director for the BIO5 Institute. True to the purpose and mission of BIO5, he has developed strong cross-sector partnerships across multiple University of Arizona campuses (Tucson, Phoenix, Yuma) and across the state of Arizona to foster convergent, translational research and training the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists. With ambitious goals and deep interest in team science, Subbian is committed to sustaining BIO5's momentum in impactful research that enhances health and well-being across Arizona as well as the state’s bioscience talent and economy.