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The field of biomaterials encompasses the design, synthesis and manufacture of natural or synthetic materials to either detect disease or repair, restore or replace lost function. While biomaterials have been around since the beginning of medicine, knowledge of how the body interacts with implanted materials has grown exponentially over the last 50 years. This, in turn, has transformed the field from one where many commercially available materials were used indiscriminately to precise selection of biocompatible materials.

Recent advances have moved beyond passive biomaterials that are walled off by the body to ones that actively participate in the body’s efforts to repair itself. Such bioactive materials are designed to interact more accurately with the body’s natural structures and functions, from macro to micro to nano and molecular levels.

Materials-related research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering focuses on four main areas:

Nanomedicine

Creation of nano and micro platforms that deliver therapeutic payloads and respond to delivery stimulus. Applications include imaging agents, vaccines and immunotherapies.

Biomedical Devices

Using structure/function relationships and bio-inspired approaches to develop new categories of biomaterials that better sense and/or mimic their biological environment and are capable of changing to meet the clinical need. Also, the design, manufacture and use of methods and devices designed to assess mechanotransductive behavior of cells and extracellular matrices from nano to macro size levels.

Drug Delivery

Developing a better understanding of therapeutic delivery to create clinically relevant delivery profiles, in situ reloading and targeted delivery. Applications include cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, inflammation, orthopedic diseases and ophthalmological diseases.

Tissue Engineering

Combining stem cell and biomolecule delivery approaches to create cell permissive materials in vitro that promote tissue integration and repair in vivo. Applications include cardiovascular, orthopedic and neural tissues.

Affiliated Centers

Faculty