Krisztina Varga Joins NSF As Program Director to Advance Resources for Biological Research

Krisztina Varga, an associate professor in the department of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences at UNH, has been appointed as a program director in the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure. In this role she will support the division’s mission to build resources and infrastructure that advance essential biological research.

Varga’s new role began in November 2024 and is part of the NSF rotator program, which invites researchers nationwide to guide NSF investments. This program allows scientists like Varga to make funding decisions, set research priorities and bring fresh perspectives while staying connected to their institutions.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to support NSF’s mission to advance basic science,” Varga says. “Contributing to the improvement of infrastructure in biology is something I am deeply passionate about.”

At UNH, Varga’s research includes studying antifreeze proteins, which prevent the growth of ice crystals and have applications in cryopreservation and agriculture; chiral nanoparticles, which could improve bioimaging; and a bacterial hub protein, which organizes other proteins in a cell and regulates their activity. Her expertise will help NSF advance tools and resources that support discoveries across the biological sciences, benefiting researchers nationwide.