BME 595: Special Topics in BME Courses

Biofabrication

  • Instructor: Yonghui Ding
    • Credits: 3
  • Biofabrication is an emerging field that integrates living cells and biomaterials with advanced manufacturing technologies to create functional biological systems. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of biofabrication, emphasizing the complex biological interactions that underpin tissue development and regeneration. Students will explore various additive manufacturing processes and their applications in fabricating in vitro tissue models and scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. A key focus will be on the transition from traditional 3D printing to the more intricate 3D bioprinting process, addressing challenges such as bioink formulation, cell viability, and precise control of fabrication parameters. The course incorporates both individual and group projects to reinforce learning. In the individual project, students will analyze commercially available or clinically tested biofabricated medical devices or scaffolds, evaluating their working mechanisms, biomaterials, and fabrication methods. For the group project, students will design and fabricate a tissue scaffold using 3D printing technologies, gaining hands-on experience in biofabrication techniques. By the end of the course, students will develop a deep understanding of biofabrication’s role in biomedical innovation and its potential to advance tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
  • Recommended background: Students with prior experience in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) preferred for group project but not required.

Diagnostic Medical Physics

  •  Instructor: William McCarthy
    • Credit: 3
  • Students will be introduced to the fields of diagnostic medical imaging with a focus on the fundamental imaging physics. Basic concepts, including: matter and energy, x-ray production, and photon interactions, will lead to topics in x-ray generation, nuclear magnetic resonance, and sound-wave propagation. The course will then focus on the different diagnostic imaging modalities including X-ray radiography, Computed Tomography, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Gamma Scintillation, and ultrasound imaging.

Engineered Models of Human Disease

  • Instructor: Catherine Whittington
    • Credit: 3
  • The class will focus on how researchers think about and design models of human disease. Primary examples will be in vitro models, but in vivo models will also be discussed. Existing model systems will be introduced and evaluated to assess their utility and limitations for certain diseases. Information from those models, combined with disease-specific elements, will be used to determine how we as engineers and physical scientists can use our toolkit to better “engineer” them. Problems may be studied in the context of current advances in science and technology (research, industry, clinic), clinical case studies, etc. from descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative perspectives.
  • NOTE: The focus of the course is not to delve deep into disease history and/or perform an intense review of current disease-specific research. Classes will be a balance of lecture, discussion, and active learning with a mix of individual and group assignments that will include writing and micro-teaching.
  • Recommended background: Students are expected to have a basic understanding of cell biology, physiology, and basic engineering principles. Background in genetics, molecular biology, biomaterials, and biochemistry, will be helpful.

Lab Automation

  • Instructor: Ross Lagoy
    • Credit: 3
  • Advanced Laboratory Automation and Screening (ALAS) is a graduate-level course that introduces students with backgrounds in biology, robotics, chemistry, or software to the fundamentals of automated laboratory systems. The course explores how automation empowers breakthroughs across fields like biotech, research, and medicine, covering topics ranging from high-throughput screening and robotics to data integration and cloud labs. Interactive lessons, industry perspectives, and hands-on projects help students build critical skills for modern lab environments. No prior experience in automation is required. By the end of the semester, students will be ready to apply automation strategies to accelerate innovation in diverse scientific and technological domains.

Mechanobiology

  • Instructor: Solomon Mensah
    • Credit: 3
  •  This course will explore the fundamental principles of mechanobiology, emphasizing how physical forces and mechanical properties regulate cellular behavior, tissue function, and disease progression. Students will examine how endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and other key cell types sense and respond to mechanical stimuli such as shear stress, stretch, and matrix stiffness.  

Medical Device Design for Global Health

  • Instructor: Solomon Mensah
    • Credit: 3
  • This course is designed to integrate fundamental principles of entrepreneurship, innovative business model development, and evidence-based customer discovery methods with practical product development frameworks. Students will learn how to identify unmet clinical needs, design viable solutions, and develop medical devices tailored for deployment in low-resource settings. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the intersection of technology, market dynamics, and user-centered design, while considering factors such as affordability, manufacturability, regulatory pathways, and sustainability in global health contexts.  

Value Creation for Graduate Research

  • Instructor: George Pins / Len Polizzotto
    • Credit: 1
  • This interdisciplinary course will help students develop the skills needed to identify and react to the challenge of creating value in research projects and proposals. They will practice communication skills needed to both describe their research work to external people as well as to those both in and outside of their specific discipline. The skills learned and developed by the students will enable them to elevate the purpose and the impact of the research they propose and conduct.

Wearable/Mobile Sensors and Systems

  •  Instructor: Ted Clancy
    • Credit: 3
  • This course explores the design and application of small-size, low-power wearable sensors, with a focus on medical- and health-related uses. Students will begin by learning about sensor technologies and electronic circuits that transduce common physiologic signals, including the electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram (EMG), electroencephalogram (EEG), photoplethysmogram (PPG; for pulse oximetry), transcutaneous oxygen measurement, temperature, and inertial measurement units (IMUs).  Key topics in signal processing include online or off-line techniques such as heart rate estimation from ECG/PPG data and EMG-based control of prosthetic devices. Through hands-on labs, students will design, build and program functional sensor systems.
  • Recommended Background: working knowledge of MATLAB (or Python) and C programming and an undergraduate background in analog circuits and computer engineering. Undergraduate background in digital signal processing and/or wireless signals would be helpful, but not necessary.