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Biological and biomedical engineering is highly interdisciplinary and very broad. The research areas listed below cover some of the applications and methodologies worked on by the many faculty members, from multiple departments, who supervise students in the BBME program.
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
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Computational biology generally describes quantitative analysis of biological systems via statistics and/or analytics. Modern computation tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer simulations or big data analytics are used to describe all biological phenomenon from movements of proteins to the spread of an infectious disease.
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
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Biomaterials include the development and application of any material that interfaces with a biological system. These augmented substances include anything from engineering materials such as metal or plastic for prosthesis to cell scaffolds that permit cell growth and repair tissues. There is a wide range of biomaterials from synthetic to naturally derived that can be designed and tailored for specific biological applications.
Biomedical Modelling
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Biomedical models are representations of physiological functions that provide a basis for therapeutics and clinical decision-making. These models are generated using analytical and/or numerical methods that approximate the relations between the inputs and outputs of the biological system.
Biomedical Sensors
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Biomedical sensors are central to screening, diagnosis, and monitoring. Innovation in this area is helping to provide sensors that are faster, smaller, less expensive, and more sensitive. This area involves a wide variety of physical and chemical phenomena and a range of technologies.
Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering
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Biomolecular and cellular engineering applies the principles and methods of engineering down to the building blocks of life. The core of this emerging field is growing biological molecules and cells in the confinements of a laboratory. Products made by this technology can include proteins, vaccines, enzymes, or specialized cells.
Imaging and Microscopy
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From x-ray and MRI to augmented reality assistance during surgery, biomedical imaging is used to visualize the aspects of biological life. Used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, snapshots of physiology and physiological processes can be garnered through advanced sensors and computer technology. This area consists of development and application of latest imaging sensors, modalities, and techniques.
Medical Diagnostics and Therapeutics
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Diagnostics and therapeutics are the cornerstone of prescribing treatment. Accurate and rapid diagnosis can improve outcomes for any medical intervention, and modern therapeutics create new possibilities for modern medicine. This field involves any medical device that helps detect or control abnormalities in a biological system.
Signals and Systems
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The human body is comprised of several systems working together in a closed loop that communicate each other using complex biomedical signals. Quantitative analysis of physiological phenomenon requires active monitoring and processing of these signals. In order to provide clinicians useful information that could be used in decision-making, biomedical signals and systems are processed using various mathematical formulae and algorithms.