Every day UW Bioengineering invents the future of medicine. We bridge the traditional disciplines of medicine and engineering to drive health care forward for those in remote parts of the world and here at home. Students, scientists, engineers, and physicians come together here to develop innovative and cost-effective approaches to improve health care. Our interdisciplinary teams collaborate in a wide range of areas, from biomedical imaging to biomaterials, and from diagnostic tools to targeted drug delivery.
Academic Programs
- Bachelor of Science – Prepares students for graduate school, medical school and careers in industry; accredited by ABET (more information on the Department of Bioengineering website)
- Master of Science – prepares students for further study or careers in industry and research
- Master of Applied Bioengineering (MAB) – one-year daytime professional degree program designed to prepare students for industry and translational research
- Combined BS/MS Program – five-year accelerated MS degree program
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – intensive research prepares students for advanced-level careers in industry and
academia - Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering (PharBE) – part-time online degree program that prepares working scientists and engineers for leadership roles in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
Facts and Stats
- Undergraduate program ranked 11th, graduate program ranked 9th among biomedical engineering academic programs nationwide by US News and World Report
- Two Fulbright Student Fellows, one Gates Cambridge Scholar, One Rhodes Scholar, one Luce Scholar, and eight Goldwater Scholars as of 2016
- Undergraduate enrollment: 209
- Bachelor’s degrees awarded (2016): 52
- Graduate enrollment: 131
- Master’s degrees awarded (2016): 17
- Doctoral degrees awarded (2016): 8
Faculty
- 51 active core teaching and research faculty
- 51 adjunct faculty
- 54 affiliate faculty
- 53 senior fellows, visiting scholars, and visiting scientists
- Over $1M new funding awarded per tenured/tenure track faculty member in FY 2016
Facts and Stats
- 25 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellows
- 13 members of the Washington State Academy of Sciences
- 14 past and current UW CoMotion Presidential Innovation Fellows
- 6 members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
- Six AAAS Fellows
- One National Academy of Inventors Fellow
Research Translation
- 807 reported inventions
- 1,437 patents filed
- 391 patents issued
- 4 software copyrights
- 99 active licenses
- 36 startup companies resulting from faculty and student research
- UW Bioengineering consistently ranks 1st or 2nd among UW departments in reporting inventions. (source: UW CoMotion)
Research Themes
Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine
Developing new engineering approaches for the repair and replacement of human tissues damaged by injury, illness and aging.
Molecular and Cellular Engineering
Exploring how molecular-level interactions drive cellular behavior, and designing new molecular systems for medical applications.
Technology for Expanding Access to Health Care
Creating cost-effective medical technologies for use in developed and developing countries.
Instrumentation, Imaging and Image-guided Therapy
Developing tools for basic science and medicine, mainly in areas of medical imaging.
Systems, Synthetic and Quantitative Biology
Analyzing the interacting networks that give rise to an organism’s function, and using that knowledge to create new organisms to treat disease.