Biomedical Engineering

• ENG BE 604: Statistics and Numerical Methods
  In this math module, we will focus on how linear algebra, statistics, and signals & systems techniques can be used to interrogate data from biological and engineering experiments. The course also serves as a primer for basic machine learning concepts that would be useful for higher-level ML courses such as EC 503, EC 523 CS 542, BE 562, or BE 559. Topics include: Gradient descent, Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm (nonlinear least-squares), logistic regression & classifications; the ANOVA table, multi- factor regression, and intro to the general linear model (GLM). Prior exposure to linear algebra (BE 601 equivalent), basic probability and statistics (BE 200 equivalent), and working knowledge of a programming language (Matlab, Python, etc.) is highly recommended.
• ENG BE 605: Molecular Bioengineering
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Required for biomedical engineering graduate students. - Provides engineering perspectives on the building blocks of living cells and the use of these components for biotechnological applications. Topics covered include biological pathways for synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins; transduction, transmission, storage and retrieval of biological information by macromolecules; polymerase chain reaction, restriction enzymes, and DNA assembly; design principles of synthetic biological circuits; cooperative proteins, multi-protein complexes and control of metabolic pathways; and generation, storage, transmission and release of biomolecular energy. Same as ENG BE 505. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG BE 606: Quantitative Physiology for Engineers
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Required for biomedical engineering graduate students. - Course in human physiology for biomedical engineering students. Fundamentals of cellular and systems physiology, including the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, and immune systems. Quantitative and engineering approaches will be applied to understanding physiological concepts.
• ENG BE 694: Biomedical and Clinical Needs Finding
  This course is required for students enrolled in the BME Master of Engineering program and is taught in conjunction with BE 695 (requires co-registration). In this course, student teams will work with their Clinical Advisor, a clinician practicing at Boston Medical Center in their selected clinical specialty, to observe first-hand how technology is applied to the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Detailed and comprehensive observation logs will be maintained by each student, recording their visits to the clinic. Opportunities for improving the current standard of care through technology and new product development will be explored through the "Clinical Needs Finding" process. Fall only. Restricted to BME MEng students only.
• ENG BE 695: Advanced Biomedical Design and Development
  BE 695 is a two-semester, project-based design course that provides students in the BME Master of Engineering program with an experiential opportunity to develop professional-level skills in biomedical product design and development. The course is divided into four modules: Discovery, Design, Development, and Deployment. During the first semester, students conduct determine User Needs, select projects, and design initial solutions. During the second semester, teams further develop their designs, make and test multiple prototypes. Design Controls, Risk Management plans, IP and Regulatory Strategies, as well as a Commercialization pathway are developed. Students enroll both semesters to receive credit for the course. Restricted to BME Master of Engineering students only.
• ENG BE 696: Advanced Deployment of Biomedical Innovations
  This three-credit course is complementary to BE 695 Advanced Biomedical Design and Development and provides an opportunity for QST Health Sector Management graduate students to work directly with graduate engineering students to develop technical, economic, and commercial implementation plans for medical technologies developed in BE 695. The course has limited enrollment and is restricted to QST Health Sector MBA students. There are no prerequisites. Permission of instructor is required.
• ENG BE 700: Advanced Topics in Biomedical Engineering
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. - Advanced study of a specific research topic in biomedical engineering. Intended primarily for advanced graduate students. Variable cr.
• ENG BE 704: Cancer Biology and Oncology for Engineers
  Graduate Prerequisites: Engineering graduate students will benefit from a basic background in molecular and cell biology for this class. - This course is designed to be an introduction to cancer biology and oncology from the perspective of the engineer. The course will cover basic cancer biology including cancer genetics, tumor metabolism, angiogenesis, and the metastastic cascade, and then discuss how new technologies enable better diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The class will explore how engineering principles can be applied to the design and fabrication of new technologies for cancer care, with an emphasis on signal processing, image formation (i.e. tomography), and data analysis. There will be a strong imaging component relevant to both cancer biology and clinical treatment, including optical, MRI, mammography, and PET-CT modalities. The course will be a combination of traditional lectures, class discussions, and journal club, and each student will be expected to present several times during the semester.
• ENG BE 707: Quantitative Studies of Excitable Cells
  Graduate Prerequisites: ENG BE 401; graduate standing or seniors with consent of instructor. - Focuses on the properties of the membranes of nerve and muscle cells. Classical models of resting potentials, action potentials, synaptic transmission, and sensory receptors are treated. The structure and function of single ionic channels are characterized in detail from patch-clamp recordings, neuropharmacological studies, and molecular studies. Mechanisms of muscle contraction and other forms of cellular motility are also covered.
• ENG BE 709: From Cells to Tissue: Engineering Structure and Function
  Graduate Prerequisites: (ENGBE605) BE 605 and graduate standing in BME department, or permission of instr uctor. - This course is a primary literature-based course that will introduce students to engineering concepts in understanding and manipulating the behavior of biological cells. We will try to understand the interplay between cells, the extracellular environment, and intracellular signaling pathways in regulating cellular and multicellular structure and function. In particular, we will explore the use of modern experimental approaches to characterize and manipulate cells for bioengineering applications, and the concepts in scaling cellular engineering to functional issues. In this context, we will focus on several topics, including signal transduction and the molecular regulation of cell function, cellular microenvironment, cell adhesion and mecghanics, stem cells, multicellularity, and experimental models of tissue development. We will introduce both classic approaches and those that are still in early development. Due to the expansive nature of this area of science, we will only be able to introduce a sampling of the space.
• ENG BE 726: Fundamentals of Biomaterials
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Graduate standing. - Provides the chemistry and engineering skills needed to solve challenges in the biomaterials and tissue engineering area, concentrating on the fundamental principles in biomedical engineering, material science, and chemistry. Covers the structure and properties of hard materials (ceramics and metals) and soft materials (polymers and hydrogels). Same as ENG BE 526, ENG ME 726, ENG MS 726. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG BE 727: Principles and Applications of Tissue Engineering
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Graduate standing; ENG BE 726. - Provides the chemistry and engineering skills needed to solve challenges in the biomaterials and tissue engineering area, concentrating on cell-biomaterial interactions, soft tissue mechanics and specific research topics. Students will write a NIH-style grant proposal on a specific research topic. Same as ENG BE 527, ENG ME 727, ENG MS 727. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG BE 745: Nanomedicine- Principles and Applications
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of the course directors. - The use of nanoscience and technology for biomedical problems has spawned a field of applications ranging from nanoparticles for imaging and therapeutics, to biosensors for disease diagnostics. Nanomedicine is a rapidly growing field that exploits the novel properties of nanoscale materials and techniques to rapidly advance our understanding of human biology and the practice of medicine. This course focuses on the fundamental properties, synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials, coupled with their applications in nanomedicine, including: micro- and nano-particles for drug delivery and imaging, microfluidics for in vitro diagnostics, nanomaterials and platforms for biological applications. The biomedical applications include cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases. Same as ENG EC 745. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG BE 755: Molecular Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory
  Molecular Systems and Synthetic Biology Laboratory
• ENG BE 771: Introduction to Neuroengineering
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing. This course covers existing and future neurotechnologies for analyzing brain signals and for treating neurological and psychiatric diseases. It focuses on the biophysical, biochemical, anatomical principles governing the design of current neurotechnologies, with a goal of encouraging innovations of a new generation of therapies. Topics include basic microscopic and macroscopic architecture of the brain, the fundamental properties of individual neurons and ensemble neural networks, electrophysiology, DBS, TMS, various imaging methods, optical neural control technologies, optogenetics, neuropharmacology, gene therapy, and stem-cell therapy. Discussions of related literatures and design projects will be involved. This course is open to graduate students only. Same as ENG BE 571. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG BE 772: Neurotechnology Devices
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing. From electro-physiology to optical and MRI, non-invasive to invasive, neuro-sensing to neuro-modulation, and spanning applications in humans and animals; this course will cover the latest developments in devices used to study the brain. The course will center around several recent journal papers that introduces or utilizes novel devices for the advancement of neuroscience. For each paper, there will be one or two lectures on the background behind the specific neurotechnology advanced or utilized in the paper. In the following class, students will be required to critically discuss the given paper, with the discussion led by a group of assigned students who will first present an overview of the paper. Homeworks and the final project will further enhance critial review of the literature and investigation of neurotechnology devices. Same as ENG BE 572. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG BE 790: Biomedical Engineering Seminar
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Required for graduate students in biomedical engineering. - Discussion of current topics in biomedical engineering. Students are expected to read assigned journal articles and to participate actively in weekly discussion meetings. Meetings organized around presentations by invited guests of their research problems, strategy, and technique.
• ENG BE 791: PhD Biomedical Engineering Laboratory Rotation System
  Graduate Prerequisites: BE PhD first year standing only - This course allows PhD students to take part in a laboratory rotation system. During these rotations, students become familiar with research activity within departmental laboratories that are of interest to them. These rotations help students identify the laboratory in which they will perform their dissertation research. PhD students must complete three rotations: one in their first semester of matriculation, and two in their second semester. Normally each rotation will last up to seven weeks.
• ENG BE 792: Critical Literature Review
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: First year BME PhD graduate students only. - Peer-reviewed publications in the area of biomedical engineering will be critically evaluated. Scientific ethics and the process of review and publication of manuscripts will be discussed. The classes will be a mix of didactic information and group discussion. Methodological issues covered will include study design, techniques used, and interpretation of research findings. Students completing this course will understand the principles underlying preparation and publication of scientific manuscripts and will be able to apply these principles as they read the scientific literature.
• ENG BE 801: Teaching Practicum
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Students must be in the BME PhD program. - This course cannot be used to meet the structured course requirements. Practical teaching experience for an assigned course, includes some combination of running discussion sections, managing laboratory sections, providing some lectures, preparing homework and solution sets, exams, and grading. Attend lectures/seminars on best teaching practices.