Biomedical Engineering Program (BME)
Biomedical Engineering Program
Prosthetics, blood alcohol detectors, and engineered proteins are all developed by biomedical engineers. By applying engineering principles and tools to biomedical and biological problems, these cross-trained engineers help solve the critical biological and medical challenges of our time.
Biomedical engineering research has been underway at the SOE for years; now the school is creating a new graduate degree program in the field. Graduates of the biomedical engineering program will have no shortage of job opportunities, as the demand for biomedical engineers is expected to increase 21% over the next decade.
“One of the areas of growth in the country and the world is biomedical engineering and health science,” saysSteven Graves, associate professor of chemical and nuclear engineering. “With the intersection of our outstanding School of Engineering, the national labs, and our excellent medical school, there’s a unique opportunity for UNM to train students to work in the biotech industry and inspire the development of a biomedical engineering research hub that will do a lot for the local economy.”
UNM plans to launch the full-fledged, state-sanctioned Biomedical Engineering doctoral program this spring and add a masters’ degree this fall. Four faculty members were hired specifically for the program and another 23 faculty members from chemical and nuclear engineering, computer science, electrical and chemical engineering, mechanical
engineering, physics and astronomy, biology, and pathology will teach the courses. “That diverse input is the new norm,” says David Whitten, research professor in chemical and nuclear engineering. “Everything has changed and in recent years much of the cutting-edge research crosses several fields. Things are really changing and the SOE is right at the center of it.”