BME at Stony Brook
- Mission
- What is BME?
- Why BME?
- Why BME at Stony Brook University?
- Undergraduate and Graduate BME Programs
- Research and Internship Opportunities
Mission
The mission of our Department of Biomedical Engineering is to fully integrate the cutting edge of engineering and physical sciences with state of the art biology to advance our understanding of biomedical problems and to use that science to drive the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University aims to provide students with an interdisciplinary view of the complex engineering problems facing modern medicine and the specific knowledge and skills necessary for undertaking advanced research and development in the broad field of biomedical engineering.
Courses, colloquia, seminars, individual research and faculty-student interactions are at the core of this program, giving students both a broad depth and breadth of knowledge in biomedical engineering.
What is BME?
Biomedical Engineering integrates physical, chemical or mathematical sciences and engineering principles for the study of biology, medicine, behavior or health. It advances fundamental concepts, creates knowledge for the molecular to the organ systems levels and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants, devices and informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, for patient rehabilitation and for improving health.
Biomedical Engineering Definition Committee
National Institutes of Health
July 24, 1997
Bioengineers are the people who design and develop innovative materials, processes, devices, biologics and informatics to prevent, diagnose and treat disease, to rehabilitate patients and to generally improve health. Bioengineers also provide environmentally sound solutions to industrial process problems, and use their knowledge of biological systems to create biologically inspired processes and products. Biomedical engineering applies science and engineering, mathematical analysis and computer techniques to biomedical problems. Biomedical engineers apply the principles and tools of modern engineering to solve problems in medicine and/or biology. It's an exciting area with a bright future and is experiencing tremendous growth.
Why BME?
Biomedical engineering applies science and engineering, mathematical analysis and computer techniques to biomedical problems. Biomedical engineers apply the principles and tools of modern engineering to solve problems in medicine and/or biology. It's an exciting area with a bright future and is experiencing tremendous growth.
Biomedical engineering is at the forefront of medicine's technologic revolution. Disciplines, which make up this diverse area, are having a tremendous impact on improving health care. New areas are opening daily, from genetic engineering and biotechnology to instrumentation, robotics and the space station.
The graduates of Biomedical Engineering programs go on to establish careers in academia, government, biotechnology, medical devices or medical instrumentation fields. Potential employers include colleges and universities, hospitals, government, research institute laboratories or private industry. Some broaden their research experiences by taking postdoctoral positions in research laboratories before beginning their own independent careers.
Why BME at Stony Brook University
Overview
It is an excellent time to begin your studies in biomedical engineering and Stony Brook University would be a superb place to train. Our faculty is diverse, our commitment is high and our facilities are unique. With more than 60 faculty members in the program, students are introduced to the diverse field of Biomedical Engineering, while having ample opportunity to rapidly pursue a specialization in their area of interest. The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) has been supported by two Special Opportunity Awards from the Whitaker Foundation, one to establish a graduate (MS/PhD) program and one to initiate an undergraduate major in Biomedical Engineering.
Program Goals
The goal of the program is to actively promote the development of versatile biomedical engineers. This includes in-depth exposure to the biological and the engineering concepts underlying physiological processes. The department's goal is accomplished by exposing the individual to the biology, engineering and business concepts critical to succeeding in various biomedical fields.
Research Areas
Faculty at Stony Brook University have been active contributors to the cutting edge of this technology and our University is building on internationally acclaimed strengths in Bioelectromagnetics, Biomechanics, Biomaterials, Biotechnology, Computational Modeling, Instrumentation and Medical Imaging.
Over 60 faculty members from the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), School of Medicine (SOM), College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), carry out interdisciplinary, multi-investigator research programs within BME. This faculty research provides a training environment for a new generation of graduate and undergraduate students at the Engineering/Biology interface. Some areas of research within our program include:
Biomaterials and Biomechanics
- Active and Passive Prostheses
- Gene Delivery Vehicles
- Tissue Substitutes
Molecular Biomedical Engineering
- Bioinformatics
- Functional Genomics
- Gene Therapy
Medical Instrumentation and Imaging
- Biosensors
- Diagnostics
- Imaging: MRI, SPECT, CAT, PET
- Ultrasound: Diagnostic, Treatment
Tissue Engineering
- Artificial Organs, Skin
- Drug Delivery
- Implant Fixation
Biomedical Modeling
- Kidney System
- Brain Function
- Locomotion
- Multi-phase Transduction
Unique Research Facilities
All BME students, beginning in their very first semester in the program, have access to the most advanced technology in the field. We pride ourselves on not only offering the best facilities in the field, but also in the incredible access that all of our students have to them.
Undergraduate and Graduate BME Programs
Overview
The Biomedical Engineering programs at Stony Brook University are structured to advance a rigorous, cross-disciplinary training and research environment for SUNY students. These disciplines thrive through active interdisciplinary collaborations between the faculty in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS), the School of Medicine (SOM) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), all of which are in close proximity. Ongoing biomedical research and development, combined with unique facilities at the University and Brookhaven National Laboratories, have helped distinguish Stony Brook University as a superb resource for education and research in both the engineering and health sciences.
Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program
To provide the permanent foundation on which to build a career in biomedical engineering, an integrated, core set of biomedical engineering courses have been implemented. These provide our biomedical engineering students with the underlying engineering principles required to understand how biological organisms are formed and how they respond to their environment. As well, the students will attain a credible level of sophistication in their understanding of cell, tissue and organ physiology. The student is then able to complement this background with additional engineering courses either within BME, or in the other engineering disciplines.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers several pathways for undergraduate students to obtain an understanding of Biomedical Engineering, including:
- Minor Program for Arts and Sciences Majors
- Biomedical Engineering Track for Life Sciences Majors
- Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Biomedical Engineering
Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program
The graduate program relies on a core set of courses to provide our biomedical engineering students with an overview of the biophysical principles involved in cell, tissue and organ biology. The progression of the four BME core courses requires three resident terms to complete. In addition to these four courses, a seminar series providing exposure to the breadth of Biomedical Engineering research and development activities both within the University as well as throughout the scientific/industrial community, is required of all BME students through their first two years of study. Finally, each course has a component of independent study to nurture the student's abilities to pursue a topic of specialized interest. Degrees available through this program include:
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biomedical Engineering
Research and Internship Opportunities
Students are encouraged to take full advantage of the numerous research opportunities and internship programs during their academic career at Stony Brook University.
Undergraduate students interested in research opportunities in BME should contact: Professor Wei Yin at (631) 632-1897 or wei.yin@stonybrook.edu.
Students interested in gaining invaluable internship experience in the biomedical industry, should contact the Center Staff Center for Biotechnology at (631) 632-8521 or center_for_biotechnology@stonybrook.edu.
For more information, see our site Research and Internship Resources
