Vertically Integrated Projects announces new faculty director, David Margolis, MD, PhD

Vertically Integrated Projects at the University of Arizona is pleased to announce the appointment of David Margolis, MD, PhD, as its faculty director.

The VIP program is a scalable, cost-effective and equitable approach to engaging undergraduate and graduate students in research, creative inquiry and service learning. In the VIP model, multidisciplinary teams align student efforts with faculty research priorities in long-term, large-scale projects. At the U of A, VIP team leaders represent more than a dozen colleges and campus units, providing research, design and service learning opportunities to students from all majors and programs.

Margolis is an assistant professor of orthopedics, physiology and biomedical engineering in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson. He is a physician-scientist, director of the Biomaterials Lab and member of the Hand Research Laboratory. 

Margolis has been a VIP team advisor since 2023, leading the Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. The team's focus is the development of orthopedic biomaterials and implantable sensors that can lead to new treatment strategies for orthopedic patients. The highly collaborative and multidisciplinary group uses a wide range of techniques, including materials fabrication, computer-aided design, additive manufacturing, biomechanics and hard-tissue histology.

In addition, Margolis has supported the broader research mission of the U of A in numerous roles, including his involvement in the Additive Manufacturing Initiative, Undergraduate Research Task Force, Medical Student Research Program and Dean’s Research Council at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

Throughout his research career, Margolis has provided research mentoring to both high school and university students, including more than 60 undergraduate students, many of whom have since advanced to graduate and professional schools. Committed to providing research experiences to underrepresented students, he has also supported more than 20 of his mentees with grants from the Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities.

In his role as VIP faculty director, Margolis will oversee faculty and student recruitment for the program, as well as efforts to advance VIP’s research productivity, educational outcomes and core commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Margolis completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, master’s degree and PhD in physiological sciences, medical school and orthopedic residency all at the University of Arizona. He then went on to complete a hand surgery fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He continues to provide clinical care at Banner – University Medical Center, where he is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and wrist surgery.

Faculty, staff and students who are interested in learning more about Vertically Integrated Projects can visit uavip.arizona.edu or contact VIP Program Coordinator Kay Orzech at vipprogram@arizona.edu for more information about starting or joining a VIP team.