We are passionate learners here, so if you want to hone in on a specialty in the Biomedical Engineering industry, our Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering program gives you that flexibility. With a course-based curriculum that appeals to entrepreneurial engineers of all disciplines, you’ll find the program gives you the biomedical engineering expertise to advance in your industry.
Whether you want to help inventors of new medical instruments through patent law, or you'd like to design or develop new products—or you’re simply interested in how technology pushes the envelope in biomedical engineering—you’ll find a way to make that happen here.
The biomedical engineering MEng prepares you to consider the big picture as you understand the ethical implications of biomedical engineering developments and the roles of physicians, patients, and the marketplace in new products and innovations. If you’re looking for clarification around common questions such as “what are the specialty areas within biomedical engineering?” and “what is biomedical technology?” you aren’t alone. At WPI, our coursework includes a multidisciplinary mix of biomedical engineering, mathematics, life sciences, and various electives that delivers a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to all the topics and technology in the discipline.
The MEng Biomedical Engineering helps all types of engineers focus their specialty in the biomedical industry. The flexible program is especially suited for anyone going to school and working full-time.
Through course work that includes a multidisciplinary mix of biomedical engineering, advanced mathematics, life sciences, and various electives, students tailor their degree to their interests. Students work alongside renowned faculty to learn cutting-edge approaches in areas like tissue engineering, biomedical instrumentation, and biofluids.
A thesis is not required in the master of engineering in biomedical engineering, but you may choose to conduct a smaller research project as part of your degree.
Whether students perform their own research projects or not, WPI’s state-of-the-art research facilities play a big part in the master of engineering in biomedical engineering. Faculty members teach and conduct research projects in the dedicated Life Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Center in Gateway Park. A four-story center, the building offers research space and a modern core equipment facility.
Understanding the mechanisms by which mechanical forces regulate the development and healing of connective tissues and the pathogenesis of disease is becoming one of the foremost problems at the intersection of biomechanics and cell biology—it has spawned the field of mechanobiology. In our lab we use precisely engineered, two-dimensional and three-dimensional constructs as model systems to study the effects of external internal (cell-generated) forces on cell behavior, matrix biochemistry, and the biomechanics of soft tissues and biomaterials.
The overall objectives of my research are to develop clinically translatable tissue regeneration and drug delivery strategies, and three-dimensional, in vitro human disease models using biologically-derived biomaterials. We will utilize techniques from engineering, chemistry and biology to address these research areas, including chemical modifications to alter drug-material interactions, small molecule and macromolecule conjugates to direct cell fate, and multi-cellular tissue/disease systems for paracrine signaling and direct cell-cell interactions.
Glenn R. Gaudette, PhD, is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from SUNY – Stony Brook. He has over 75 publications, co-edited a book on Cardiovascular Regeneration, has 4 issued patents and founded a company based on the technology developed in his laboratory. His research, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, aims to develop a treatment for the millions of Americans suffering from myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.
The biomechanical mechanisms behind traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been an active research focus for more than 70 years. However, the field is still largely focused on impact kinematics or estimated brain responses in generic regions from single head impact to predict a binary brain injury status on a population basis. An important research focus in my lab is to integrate advanced neuroimaging into TBI biomechanics research to understand injuries to functionally important neural pathways. At the same time, we develop techniques to achieve near real-time response feedbacks.
The overall objective of my research is to create bioengineered scaffolds to enhance the regeneration of damaged tissues and organs. Specifically, my laboratory uses biomimetic design strategies and novel fabrication processes to develop three-dimensional constructs that emulate native tissue architecture and cellular microenvironments. We use these scaffolds to characterize the roles of extracellular matrix (ECM) cues and topographic features in modulating cellular functions, including adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and tissue remodeling.
In my research laboratory at WPI, teams of graduate and undergraduate students collaborate with researchers at WPI and the University of Massachusetts Medical School to design, fabricate, culture and analyze cell-based engineered vascular tissue.
The ability of our biological tissues to adapt to their mechanical environment, and the ways in which our tissues are well suited for their own mechanical role within the body, is a constant source of wonder to me. I am interested in understanding the mechanical signals that are experienced within the skeleton during different types of physical activity, understanding what features of these signals stimulate bone to adapt its structure, and in developing noninvasive methods to quantify bone strength.
My research focuses on combining bio-instructive biomaterials with cells to design 3D tissue-engineered platforms for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, improved predictability of therapeutic outcomes, and as translatable technologies for clinic and industry.
Maybe you’re already a step ahead and have a master of engineering in biomedical engineering or a related field? Earning a PhD can help you get ahead and be on your way to making breakthrough discoveries that push the boundaries. Whether you like investigating problems or teaching others, a PhD in biomedical engineering will help back your endeavors. With two lab rotations, you have the opportunity to work with WPI’s world-renowned faculty day in and day out.
If you’re interested in gaining biomedical engineering expertise, but don’t plan on pursuing a business path— for instance an entrepreneurial or legal role in the field—our master of science may be a more targeted program for you. Our master’s in biomedical engineering dives into the technical and scientific side of advancing healthcare. You’ll combine engineering concepts with mathematics, life sciences, and more as you work on research projects that make real-world impact.
Are you just starting to think about your ideal college career and wondering if the biomedical engineering field is right for you? Maybe you have specific questions like what is a biomedical engineer exactly? If you have a passion for combining engineering with biology and health to bring concepts into prototypes, be sure to explore a BS in biomedical engineering. Students are challenged to think like scientists as they learn about cutting-edge industry approaches to medical science.
If you’re interested in the field of biomedical engineering and all the potential it offers, but plan a different master’s degree path, WPI has lots of options that can help you pursue both. WPI’s MS in electrical and computer engineering can help you focus on topics such as medical devices and how they are built and operate. With our MS in robotics engineering, you’ll be able to explore areas similar to and intersecting with biomedical engineering including robotic surgical devices and even prosthetics. WPI’s mechanical engineering master’s degree program delivers a broad approach that will advance your expertise to deepen your knowledge around biomedical engineering so you can apply it to your chosen degree path.
