Vareberg earns Grainger Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship

Adam Vareberg, a PhD student in biomedical engineering, has received a 2025-26 Grainger Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, a prestigious honor for doctoral students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering.

Vareberg is part of Vilas Early Career Assistant Professor Aviad Hai’s lab, where he develops computational and experimental approaches for neuromodulation and neurotherapeutics.

Before arriving at UW-Madison in 2021, Vareberg earned his bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Harvard University, then worked as a systems engineer at Lockheed Martin. In addition to graduate school, he currently serves as director of business development for Blue Comply, a startup that aims to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas industry.

As a UW-Madison student, he’s earned the best student poster award at the Conference of Magnetic Technologies and Clinical Applications in Neuroscience and has co-authored several papers, including one in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods. He’s also served as a teaching assistant for BME 550: Introduction to Biological and Medical Microsystems, earning high marks from students.

For his dissertation project, Vareberg is creating wireless devices that deliver therapy into degenerated brain regions without the requirement for wired connectivity and external power supply. The work could have clinical promise for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

“Adam is one of those rare students who do not limit themselves to one narrow field of work or technique, and yet he consistently delves deeper into each field he explores,” Paul Campagnola, Peter Tong Department Chair, wrote in his nomination letter for Vareberg.