biomedical-engineering.html

Professor David Kaplan, Chair; Biopolymer engineering, biomaterials, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine
Professor Sergio Fantini, Biomedical optics, near infrared-spectroscopy, diffuse optical imaging
Associate Professor Mark Cronin-Golomb, Optical instrumentation, laser tweezers, atomic force microscopy, nonlinear optics
Associate Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto, Ultrafast nonlinear optics
Associate Professor Vo Van Toi, Biomedical instrumentation, vision and ophthalmology, telemedicine
Assistant Professor Irene Georgakoudi, Biomedical spectroscopic imaging and characterization, in vivo flow cytometry, biomedical instrumentation
Research Associate Professor Vladimir Volloch, Mammalian gene expression, regulation of cellular and organismic aging, anticancer drug delivery
Research Assistant Professor Greg Altman, Collagen-based matrices, ligament formation, impact of mechanical forces on human adult stem cell differentiation, bioreactor system, in vitro tissue formation and development
Adjunct Professor Christoph Börgers (Department of Mathematics), Mathematical neuroscience
Adjunct Professor Edward Goldberg (Department of Molecular Biology), Genetic design of proteins for biometric, functional, self-assembly nanomaterials
Adjunct Professor Martha Gray (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Physiology of cartilage; biological factors on cartilage growth, development, and metabolism; MRI-based techniques to measure cartilage composition and properties
Adjunct Professor John Kauer (Tufts New England Medical Center), Process and integration in brain circuits
Adjunct Professor John Richmond, (New England Baptist Hospital, Tufts New England Medical Center), Ligament formation, treatment of injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament, regulation and proliferation of growth factor expression in arthrofibrosis
Adjunct Professor Barry Trimmer (Department of Biology), Central processing of sensory information by receptors, second messengers and synaptic networks in an insect model system, neural control of soft-bodied locomotion
Adjunct Professor Gordana Vunjack-Novakovic (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University), Transport phenomena, tissue engineering and bioreactors
Adjunct Professor David Walt (Department of Chemistry), Surface, polymer and materials chemistry, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, immunosensors, corrosion sensing, neurotransmitter sensing, combinatorial polymer synthesis, high-density arrays, genosensing, micro-and nano-sensors, cell-based biosensors, and sensors based on principles of the olfactory system
Adjunct Associate Professor Peter Bergethon (Boston University School of Medicine/Tufts-New England Medical Center), Computational neurology
Adjunct Associate Professor Aurelie Edwards (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering), Biological transport phenomena involving fluid and solute transport in living tissues, disease origin, and drug delivery
Adjunct Associate Professor Bruce Ehrenberg, Clinical neurophysiology (EEG), sleep disorders, restless leg syndrome
Adjunct Associate Professor Andrew Hoffman (Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine), Non-invasive pulmonary function testing in animals, pathogenesis of airway reactivity, interventions for emphysema, and new paradigms for mechanical ventilation
Adjunct Associate Professor Carl Kirker-Head (Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine), Bone growth and remodeling, bone repair in response to injury, bone grafting, surgical and other orthopaedic disease models, musculo-skeletal vascular disease, bone and soft tissue biomechanics, skeletal tissue engineering, orthopedic device development
Adjunct Associate Professor Jerry Meldon (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering), Membrane science and technology, mass transfer with chemical reaction, mathematical modeling of transport phenomena
Adjunct Associate Professor Pam Yelick (Tufts University School of Dental Medicine), Molecular genetic analyses of craniofacial cartilage, bone, and tooth development.
Adjunct Associate Professor Jing Zhao (Agiltron, Inc.), Advanced complex-oxide optoelectronic material growth and novel photonic device fabrications, development of a variety of world-class photonic materials via a novel chemical film process and bulk ceramics hot-press
Adjunct Assistant Professor Frederick Blaise (McLean Hospital), Magnetic resonance equipment and techniques for the study of psychiatric illness in Alzheimer’s disease and substance abuse
Adjunct Assistant Professor Giorgio Bonmassar (Massachusetts General Hospital), Multimodal functional imaging of the brain, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffuse optical tomography (DOT)
Adjunct Assistant Professor Guillermo Castro (Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Argentina), Emulsan adjuvant activity.
Adjunct Assistant Professor Caroline Cao (Department of Mechanical Engineering), Endoscopy and surgery, human factors, remote instrumentation, human-machine interface, robotic surgery, surgical training, virtual reality
Adjunct Assistant Professor Michael Henry (McLean Hospital), Brain imaging studies to define the effects of electroconvulsive therapy on regional brain hexose metabolism, changes in regional cerebral blood volume occurring with abrupt discontinuation of short-acting selective serotonin reuptake antidepressant, and pharmacokinetics of psychotropics
Adjunct Assistant Professor Steve Jiang (Massachusetts General Hospital), Development of precision radiotherapy treatment technique for moving tumor using dynamic MLC, application of molecular imaging in IMRT, study of organ motion effect using Monte Carlo simulation
Adjunct Assistant Professor Krishna Kumar (Department of Chemistry), Novel methods for the rational design and construction of artificial proteins, molecular enzymes and self-assembling biomaterials
Adjunct Assistant Professor David Lee (Department of Chemistry), Hierarchical self-assembly of intermediate filaments, role in biomaterials to protein hormone assemblies that regulate fatty acid metabolism, relevance to obesity
Adjunct Assistant Professor Charles Lin (Massachusetts General Hospital), Confocal, two-photon, and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, selective targeting of cells and subcellular organelles by light-absorbing nanoparticles
Adjunct Assistant Professor Lorenz Meinel (ETH Zurich), Drug delivery interfaces
Adjunct Assistant Professor Jill Platko (Massachusetts General Hospital), DNA sequencing and genotyping for psychiatric disorders
Adjunct Assistant Professor Douglas Vetter (Tufts New England Medical Center), Molecular, biochemical, and physiological aspects of brain-inner ear interactions

The biomedical engineer is responsible for design and development of the technology and devices that are at the heart of the far-reaching improvements in human health that have been occurring over the last few decades. These advances include better tools for understanding disease and health, as well as better ways to both treat disease and maintain health. The rapid expansion of the field of biomedical engineering is due to many factors, including 1) scientific and technological advances in the life sciences, materials science, and the engineering disciplines; 2) the increasing recognition of the role of interdisciplinary strategies to solve complex biomedical problems; and 3) the aging of the population leading to increasing healthcare needs and the associated demands and costs.

The vision of the Biomedical Engineering Department is to promote integrative research, education, and entrepreneurship at the forefront of biomedical science and engineering. The mission of the Biomedical Engineering Department is to prepare students to: 1) identify, formulate, and solve open-ended biomedical engineering problems by integrating and applying basic principles of biology and engineering/physical sciences; 2) be creative, entrepreneurial, self-learning, and innovative; 3) be qualified to perform, manage, or lead original research at the highest levels in private industry, research laboratories, and academia, and to teach in the field.

Undergraduate Programs
Biomedical engineering involves a synergistic combination of the techniques and practices of a number of disciplines (including biology, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science), brought together and focused toward the goal of creating more effective tools, applications, and treatments in areas such as regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, medical instrumentation and devices, patient aids, and robustly engineered medical practices. The department offers instruction leading to a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering (BSBME) for students in the School of Engineering. Furthermore, the department offers second majors for engineering and liberal arts students that, combined with a traditional major in engineering or liberal arts, prepare students to apply their chosen disciplines in the area of biomedical devices and systems. By careful selection of course work, students who follow these curricula can satisfy admission requirements for professional schools of medicine, dentistry, business, or law. The biomedical engineering program is not accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
The bachelor of science in biomedical engineering is a research-oriented degree program that combines intensive training in research methods, techniques, and practical skills with a solid science and engineering curriculum that provides breadth and depth in the field. A key aspect of biomedical engineering is its interdisciplinary nature; introductory courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics, and foundation/concentration courses build the basis for creating the synergy among these disciplines that is required in the practice of biomedical engineering.

The curriculum leading to the bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering is intended to prepare students to continue with graduate study either in biomedical engineering or medicine, or to enter professional practice as an engineer or designer of biomedical systems. The curriculum includes intensive instruction in the sciences and engineering disciplines, as well as a unique integrated research experience covering sophomore to senior years, in which each student participates in an interdisciplinary research team to learn about research techniques, study research problems in biomedical engineering, and propose, implement, and evaluate solutions to these problems.

Those students who are interested in applying for the BME first major must, by December of their freshman year, fulfill the requirement for Math 11, and take and complete for a grade at Tufts two of the following four courses (Chemistry 1 with lab, Chemistry 2 with lab, Physics 11 with lab, Physics 12 with lab), and submit an application (available at the department) before December 1st of their freshman year. Of the students that will apply to the department, the 15 students obtaining the top cumulative grade-point averages during the first semester of their freshman year will be admitted into the program. The department will notify students of their acceptance into the program during the winter break of their freshman year, after grades are posted for the fall term.

First Year
FALL TERM
Mathematics 11
Chemistry 1
Physics 11
English 1
Engineering 1 (half-credit)
Engineering Elective (half-credit)

SPRING TERM
Mathematics 12
Physics 12 or Chemistry 2
Humanities or social sciences elective
Engineering 2 (half credit)
Engineering Elective (half-credit)

Sophomore Year
FALL TERM
Mathematics 13
Biology 13
Engineering Science 3
Engineering Science 5
Biomedical Engineering 62
Sophomore Research Project I (half credit)

SPRING TERM
Mathematics 38
Biology 14
Chemistry 2 or Physics 12
Biomedical Engineering 50
Sophomore Research Project II (half credit)

Junior Year
FALL TERM
Biology 115 or Concentration elective
Biology 41
Engineering Science 8 or Chemical Engineering 10 (both ChE10 and ES7 may not be taken)
Foundation Elective
Humanities or social sciences elective
Junior Research Project I (half credit)

SPRING TERM
Biology 116 or Concentration elective
Engineering Science 7 or Chemical Engineering 22 (both ChE10 and ES7 may not be taken)
Philosophy 124
Biomedical Engineering 101
Humanities or social sciences elective
Junior Research Project II (half credit)

Senior Year
FALL TERM
Biomedical Engineering 100
Biomedical Engineering 193-04 or Concentration Elective
Humanities or social sciences elective
Senior Research I

SPRING TERM
Biomedical Engineering 164
Biomedical Engineering 131 or Concentration Elective
Foundation Elective
Senior Research II

The selection of elective courses described above may be altered for program flexibility. The assignments here reflect one possible way of meeting the requirements for the degree. A list of appropriate foundation and concentration electives is available from the department.

Second Major in Biomedical Engineering
The second major in biomedical engineering is offered to liberal arts students and to engineering students. Students must enroll in conjunction with another undergraduate departmental major. For the second major in biomedical engineering, students are required to complete ten courses. No more than five of these courses may be used to fulfill the concentration requirement of the first major. All ten courses must be taken for a letter grade.

For liberal arts students (systems track)
Ten credits are required for the second major in biomedical engineering as follows:
1. Biomedical Engineering 50
2. Biomedical Engineering 62
3. Eight elective courses from a list available from the department

For engineering students (design track)
Ten credits are required for the second major in biomedical engineering as follows:
1. Biology 13
2. Biomedical Engineering 50
3. Biomedical Engineering 62
4. Biomedical Engineering 100
5. Biomedical Engineering 101 or Biomedical Engineering 131
6. Biomedical Engineering 164
7. One Biomedical Engineering elective course
8. Two concentration elective courses from a list available from the department
9. One elective course approved by the BME Second Major advisor

Minor in Biomedical Engineering
The department also offers a minor in biomedical engineering, for which five credits are required. The requirements are the following five courses that must all be taken for a letter grade:
Biomedical Engineering 50 (Introduction to Biomedical Engineering)
Biomedical Engineering 62 (Molecular Biotechnology)
Biomedical Engineering 101 (Introduction to Biomedical Optics)
Two Biomedical Engineering elective courses

Graduate Programs
The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Engineering (M.E.) for students seeking an education at an advanced level in biomedical engineering, and Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) for students preparing for careers in which research is a central activity. Students can be accepted into either the M.E. program, the M.S. program, or directly into the Ph.D. program. A M.E. or M.S. degree is not required for students to apply to the Ph.D program. Ph.D candidates may obtain a M.E. or M.S. degree during their study if the requirements for the degree are fulfilled. Students who receive the M.E. or M.S. degree and wish to continue their studies toward the Ph.D. need to be formally accepted into the Ph.D. program at that time.

The M.S. and Ph.D. programs in the Department of Biomedical Engineering are strongly research-oriented, with emphasis on independent research work reflected in the candidate’s thesis or dissertation. Because biomedical engineering is a multidisciplinary field, students are expected to work in collaboration with scientists in diverse fields including engineering, health, and life sciences. The required courses consist of foundation courses and elective courses. The purpose of the foundation courses is to provide a broad background in biomedical engineering, and to introduce the research activities in the department. The purpose of the elective courses is to provide in-depth knowledge in specific areas of biomedical engineering as a solid basis for students to excel in their research work. It is advisable that M.S. and Ph.D. students first identify a field of interest and a research adviser, and then select elective courses around the research topic of choice. At the discretion of the research adviser, students who lack suitable preparation may be required to take additional undergraduate-level courses, and students who are already qualified may be exempt from some courses. Transfer of graduate course credits is also possible.

GRE and TOEFL (if applicable) are required for admission into the programs. Prospective students can obtain more admission information, financial-aid information and application forms at http://ase.tufts.edu/gradstudy.

Master of Engineering
The department offers a program leading to the master of engineering (M.E.) degree in biomedical engineering. The M.E. program is aimed at students who desire to acquire broad knowledge in biomedical engineering. The emphasis is on multi-disciplinary interfaces in the areas covered by biomedical engineering.

Ten credits are required for the M.E. degree: two foundation courses (2 credits), seven graduate courses (7 credits), research seminars for at least two semesters (no credit), and a project (1 credit).

Master of Science
The department offers a program leading to the master of science (M.S.) degree in biomedical engineering.

Ten credits are required for the M.S. degree: two foundation courses (2 credits), three or more graduate courses--can include special topics courses (3 to 4 credits), research seminars for at least two semesters (1 to 2 credits), and a thesis (3 credits).

Doctor of Philosophy
The department offers a program leading to the Ph.D. degree in biomedical engineering.

Thirty credits are required for a Ph.D. with prior B.S. degree: three foundation courses (3 credits), graduate elective courses–may be special topics courses (at least 5 credits), research seminars for at least four semesters (2 or more credits), and a thesis (up to 20 credits).

Twenty credits are required for a Ph.D. with prior M.E. or M.S. degree: three foundation courses (3 credits), graduate elective courses (at least 1 credit), research seminars for at least four semesters ( 2 or more credits), and a thesis (up to 14 credits).