Welcome to the Department of Biomedical Engineering at McGill University! We are located in downtown Montreal, one of the most vibrant multicultural cities in the world, recognized for its globally diverse restaurant scene for all budgets, while also being one of the safest cities. Montreal is known for its exceptional life quality buoyed by comparatively low housing costs compared to other major metropolitan areas, making it a wonderful place to work and live, and to fulfill both professional and personal life aspirations.
Our Biomedical Engineering department was the first in Canada, and we pursue a tradition of excellence as part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and within the School of Biomedical Sciences. One of our faculty members, Dr. Thomas Ming Swi Chang, created and conceptualized the first artificial cell, and was nominated by the McGill community as the most famous McGillian. We are tightly integrated into life sciences research and clinical practice, and we collaborate intensively and extensively with the local community and at the international level. We are closely associated with the McGill University Hospital Centre (MUHC), and we are strategically located in Montreal and benefit from the proximity to other academic hospitals, providing a vast array of opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
At the heart of our department is our mission: to transform biomedical research through innovation and discovery, and to train the next generation of biomedical engineers for better health outcomes. Our research and teaching cover the breadth of biomedical engineering and are organized into five themes, including (i) Devices & Sensors, (ii) Modelling & AI, (iii) Imaging, (iv) Molecules & Materials, and (v) Living Systems Engineering. Our research extends from basic science to clinical translation and innovation via spin-offs and licensing of our inventions.
We are home to a diverse student body that is the department’s pride and joy. Our investigators supervise students enrolled in a variety of programs, first and foremost in the Biological and Biomedical Engineering Program that we co-administer, and in Neuroscience, Quantitative Life sciences, Experimental Medicine, Engineering, and many others. We also offer students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience working in industry with our recently launched Applied Master in Translational Biomedical Engineering, where students learn all about converting research in the lab to results in the clinic.
In 2025, we are arguably in the most exciting period of Biomedical Engineering, as life scientists embrace bioengineering concepts such as in synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and immunoengineering, and as biomedical engineers turn their attention to living systems and re-engineer individual components, such as proteins, and ever more complex systems such as cells, organs-on-a-chip, and artificial organs. Biomedical engineers are also forging ahead on designing new materials and drugs and manufacturing them for clinical applications. We cannot talk about Biomedical Engineering without acknowledging the tremendous benefits brought about by artificial intelligence in analyzing complex data. Finally, we find ourselves at the forefront of a new transformation of medicine with wearable devices that can help enhance our health using continuous monitoring and therapeutic delivery.
We appreciate your interest in our department. Do not hesitate to reach out to us, whether you are interested in graduate studies, joining our research team, or collaborating with us. The future of Biomedical Engineering has so much to offer, and we cannot wait to explore it with you!
David Juncker, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Bioengineering
Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University