Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Bioengineering
Warnock Engineering Building
72 South Central Campus Drive, Rm. 2646
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Phone: (801) 581-8528
Fax: (801) 585-5361
Department Chair: Dr. Richard Rabbitt
Associate Chair, Graduate Studies: Dr. Jeffrey A. Weiss
Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Robert S. Macleod
Advisor, Undergraduate Minor Program:Dr. Douglas A. Christensen
Advisor, BS/MS Program: Dr. Yan-Ting Shiu
Premajor Advisor: Dr. Kelly W. Broadhead
Visit the Department of Bioengineering website.
About the Department
The Department of Bioengineering is an internationally renowned biomedical research program, considered by many as one of the top programs of its kind in the world. The department offers both graduate and undergraduate training programs that combine the study of engineering with the study of biology and applied medical sciences that focuses on inventing, developing, and refining technologies to improve lives.
The department arose from the pioneering work of Willem Kolff and others at the University of Utah who were instrumental in developing the first fully implantable artificial heart. Other important developments include artificial organs (heart-lung machine, intra-aortic balloon pump heart assist device, artificial eye, artificial heart, and dialysis machine), biomaterials, and drug delivery. The department has close ties to the School of Medicine, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Science, and other engineering departments. Entrepreneurial activity has been highly prominent as research efforts have led to numerous spin-off companies.
Major Research Initiatives:
- Neural engineering
- Cardiovascular engineering
- Biomedical imaging
- Cell, molecular, and tissue therapeutics
- BioDesign
Associated Institutes and Research Centers:
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering
- The Brain Institute
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI)
- Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI)
- Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI)
- Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR)
- NIH Center for Bioelectric Field Modeling, Simulation, and Visualization
- Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery (CCCD)
- Keck Center for Tissue Engineering (KCTE)
- Center for Neural Interfaces
- Center for Biopolymers at Interfaces
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Microfluidics
Faculty:
- 21 tenure-track faculty
- 60+ participating graduate faculty from more than 30 departments and institutes
- 3 members of the National Academy of Engineering
- 1 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
- 81 percent of faculty have adjunct appointments in engineering and health sciences
- 38 percent of faculty have started companies
- Faculty by research area
Degree Programs:
Bachelor of Science (BS) offered since 2002
Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) offered since 1972
Student Placement:
Graduate Placement: 49% Industry, 24% Academics, 19% Medicine, 9% Entrepreneur
Undergraduate Placement: 33% Industry, 36% Graduate School, 22% Medical-Dental, 5% Professional School
Average Starting Salary:1
Bachelor's: $51,356
Master's: $59,240