Biomedical Engineering

Faculty

K. L. Billiar, Professor and Department Head; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Biomechanics of soft tissues and biomaterials, mechanobiology, wound healing, tissue growth and development; functional tissue engineering, regenerative medicine.

D. Alatalo, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Texas at Dallas; Biomechanics of soft tissues and materials, rheology, biofluid mechanics, bioheat transfer, modeling, maternal-child health, biotransport in the mammary gland, medical device development.

D. R. Albrecht, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of California, San Diego; bioMEMS, microfluidics, dynamic systems, Neural circuits and behavior, optogenetics, advanced microscopy, high-throughput screening, lab automation, instrumentation and medical devices for global health.

J. Coburn, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Biomaterials, scaffolds, tissue engineering, 3-D tissue models, stem cells, cell-matrix/material interactions, drug delivery, oncology therapeutics.

Y. Ding, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Regenerative engineering, biomaterial scaffolds, vascular and musculoskeletal tissue engineering, additive manufacturing.

S. Ji, Professor; D.Sc., Washington University in St. Louis; Biomechanics, brain injury, finite element analysis, multi-scale modeling, neuroimaging, medical image analysis, sports medicine.

S. Mensah,  Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Northeastern University; Pulmonary vascular regeneration, tissue engineering, medical device development for global health

G. D. Pins, Professor; Ph.D., Rutgers University; Cell and tissue engineering, biomaterials, bioMEMS, scaffolds for soft tissue repair, cell-material interactions, wound healing, cell culture technologies.

K. L. Troy, Professor; Ph.D., University of Iowa; Orthopedic biomechanics, multi-scale modeling, finite element analysis, medical image analysis, bone and joint structure.

Z. Wei, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Kansas; Cardiovascular fluid mechanics, data-driven flow modeling, mock circlatory loop, medical devices

C. F. Whittington, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Purdue University; Cell-extracellular matrix interactions, biomaterials, 3D culture, tissue engineering, mechanobiology, in vitro disease models, tumor microenvironment, tumor metastasis, lymphatic vessel growth and function, fibrosis. 

H. Zhang, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Biomedical robotics, biomedical imaging, ultrasound and photoacoustic instrumentation, functional imaging of brain and cancer, image-guided therapy and intervention.

S. Zhou, Assistant Professor: Ph.D., Dalhousie University; Atrial and Ventricular Mapping, ECG Imaging, Body-Surface Potential Mapping, Personalized Heart Digital Twin, AI in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Clinical Translational Research in Cardiac EP

Research Interests

Biomedical engineering (BME) faculty and graduate students work in multi-disciplinary teams across campus, as well as with external collaborators in academia, medicine and industry. Biomedical engineering graduate students may conduct thesis and dissertation research and projects under the supervision of primary BME department faculty or collaborative BME faculty advisors. Please refer to the Biomedical Engineering Department website for a current listing of primary and collaborative faculty (www.wpi.edu/+bme) and their research interests. Primary areas of research focus include:

Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Several BME researchers at WPI focus on creating biomaterials and engineered tissues for regenerative medicine and drug discovery applications. Research projects include: engineered biomaterials for cell delivery and tissue repair (cardiac patches and skeletal muscle regeneration), microtissue models of normal and diseased human tissues (liver, cardiovascular, skeletal muscle and cancer), advanced biomanufacturing of cells, biomolecules, biomaterials, and tissue biofabrication. More recent interdisciplinary work focuses on the use of decellularized plant tissues as biomaterials, and exploring the plant-animal cell interface for the development of advanced biomanufacturing and tissue engineering processes.

Primary faculty: Billiar, Coburn, Ding, Pins, Whittington

Collaborative faculty: Bailey-Hytholt, Camesano, Roberts, Sabuncu, Stewart, Weathers, Young, Zoutendyk

Biomechanics and Mechanobiology

Biomechanics research at WPI focuses on measuring the effects of mechanical forces on skeletal and soft tissue remodeling, and using imaging data and computational tools to understand these effects in the context of human organ and tissue function. Projects include quantifying the effects of exercise and pathology (aging, injury and non-loading, such as in spinal cord injury) on bone remodeling and mechanics, modeling concussion injury in the brain, and applications of robotics in rehabilitative medicine and image-guided surgery. Mechanobiology research aims to understand the mechanical forces through which cells act on and respond to their environment within normal and diseased tissues (heart valve disease, cardiac repair, cancer).

Primary faculty: Alatalo, Billiar, Ji, Mensah, Troy, Wei, Zhang

Collaborative faculty: Fischer, Fofana, Popovic, Tang, Wen, Yang, Zheng

Bioinstrumentation, Imaging, and Signal Processing

Bioinstrumentation research at WPI focuses on developing sensors and devices for physiological monitoring (ultrasound, auditory devices, blood pressure, EMG/ECG/EEG), kinematics (gait analysis, impact acceleration), global healthcare, and neuroscience. Signal processing research extends to quantification of human behavior and application of machine learning to identify neural mechanisms of sensorimotor control. Advanced neuroimaging is integrated into traumatic brain injury (TBI) and biomechanics research to understand injuries to functionally important neural pathways and develop computational brain models that predict injury. Imaging research also has applications in surgical guidance and robotic-assisted ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Quantitative microscopy, combined with microfabricated MEMS devices for whole organism studies (C. elegans), are being applied to enable high throughput and bioinformatics analysis of neural circuits and behavior to model human neurobiology (including sleep, autism, and TBI).

Primary faculty: Albrecht, Ji, Zhang, Zhou

Collaborative faculty: Clancy, Fichera, Fischer, Li, Liu

Research Laboratories and Facilities

Biomedical Engineering research laboratories are located in the four-story, 125,000-square-foot WPI Life Science and Bioengineering Center (LSBC) at Gateway Park (60 Prescott Street). Laboratory capabilities and equipment include:

Biomaterials fabrication (electrospinning, polymer synthesis, chemical modification, plant- and animal-based biomaterial processing and synthesis)

Biomedical sensors and bioinstrumen­tation (design and microfabrication of reflective pulse oximetry sensors, microcomputer-based biomedical instrumentation, digital signal processing, wearable wireless biomedical sensors, application of optics to biomedicine and telemedicine)

Cell culture (class I and II biosafety cabinets, incubators, cryo-storage, cell and molecular biology tools, microscopy)

Histology (paraffin processing and embedding equipment, microtomes, cryotome and special staining stations)

Medical imaging (quantitative computed tomography, robot-guided ultrasound imaging to measure mineralization in bone)

Microfabrication lab (rapid prototyping microfluidic and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), photolithography, metrology, spin-coating, UV exposure, Class 100 clean hood)

Microscopy (multiple inverted and epifluorescent microscopes, confocal microscopes, atomic force microscopes, light sheet imaging, live still and video image capture of cells, tissues and organisms, fluorescent tracking and quantitative analysis of neural and muscle cell activity)

Mechanical testing (Anton-Paar Rheometer and Optics-11 Nano/micro-indentation; Instron EPS 1000; custom mechanical testing and conditioning systems)

Motion capture and computational mechanics (head impact sensors, gait analysis, integration of medical imaging data with multi-scale and finite element modeling of musculoskeletal and brain injury biomechanics)

In addition, biomedical engineering faculty and students have access to other WPI facilities and resources at Gateway Park, including courses and equipment housed in the Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC), and courses and events at the Foisie School of Business, both located next door to LSBC at 50 Prescott Street. Robotics Program research laboratories are located across the street at 85 Prescott Street.

Several new WPI Gateway Park research facilities opened in recent years:

Practice Point is a new facility that houses point-of-care suites where industry-clinician-academic research teams will collaborate to develop advanced healthcare technologies. Research focus areas include medical and surgical robotics, image-guided robotic surgery, assistive technologies, home health care, digital and connected health systems, and advanced prosthetic and rehabilitative engineering.

Cell Engineering Research Equipment Suite (CERES) provides WPI researchers and regional industry and academic partners access to state-of-the-art instruments for quantitative analysis of engineered cells. Automated imaging, liquid handling, gene expression analysis, and flow cytometry equipment assist in developing cell and gene therapies, engineering cells to manufacture commercially valuable products, and defining critical quality attributes (CQAs) for cell, gene therapy, and biomolecule analysis and characterization.  

Lab for Education and Application Prototypes (LEAP), in partnership with Quinsigamond Community College, enables rapid prototyping, testing, and training in advanced sensing technology to support economic and workforce development and innovation in manufacturing. LEAP supports nanoscale and microscale prototyping development, optical and electrical device characterization, fiber-chip interfacing, and non-invasive optical metrology for reliability testing. LEAP is part of the national American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics), which has enabled unique opportunities to engage in industry-government-academic research partnerships that create value for areas of national need in advanced manufacturing. Primary and collaborative BME faculty are active members of the Advanced Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) and National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing.

Regional Research Partnerships

WPI’s geographic location in the heart of central Massachusetts makes it accessible to regional academic and medical centers in Boston and Cambridge, and hundreds of medical device and biotechnology companies, hospitals and research facilities throughout the northeast.

University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) is located in Worcester less than 2 miles from the WPI campus. BME faculty and students engage in many active collaborations with faculty and clinicians at UMMS. With guidance and approval from the BME Graduate Studies Committee, BME graduate students may take courses and pursue research and projects advised by BME program faculty at UMMS.

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC) is located in nearby Natick, Massachusetts. BME faculty and students engage in collaborative projects focused on making soldiers’ lives easier, healthier, and safer.

Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is located in nearby Grafton, Massachusetts (approximately 8 miles from WPI campus). BME faculty and students engage in research and design projects in collaboration with veterinarians and research faculty at Tufts to improve veterinary medicine.

Programs of Study

The goal of the biomedical engineering (BME) graduate programs is to apply engineering principles and technology that create value and innovative approaches to solve significant biomedical problems. Students trained in these programs have found rewarding careers in major medical and biomedical research centers, academia, medical device and biotechnology industries, and entrepreneurial enterprises.

BME graduate programs are designed to be flexible, student-centered, and customizable to each individual student’s academic background, professional experience, and career goals. Courses may be taken on campus or online (as available). Depending on the specific degree program, coursework, thesis and dissertation research, and project work may be integrated with industry co-ops and internships, full-time employment in a related industry, or an international research experience.

Each admitted and matriculated student is assigned a BME Faculty Academic Advisor to provide guidance on course selection and degree program planning. In addition, all students submit an individual Plan of Study to the BME Graduate Studies Committee for review during their first semester, and periodically throughout their degree program, for feedback to ensure that they are on track to meet degree requirements.

All BME graduate degree programs adhere to WPI’s general requirements detailed in the WPI Graduate Catalog.

Doctoral Programs

The degree of doctor of philosophy in Biomedical Engineering is conferred on candidates in recognition of exceptional academic achievement and the ability to carry on original independent research. Graduates of the program will be prepared to lead research projects in academic institutions, government agencies, or in the medical device and biotechnology industries.

Master’s Degree Programs

There are two master’s degree options in biomedical engineering: the course-based Master of Engineering (M.E.), and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Biomedical Engineering. For the M.S. degree, students may choose a Thesis-Based or Project-Based program of study. While the expected levels of student academic performance are the same for all three degree options, they are oriented toward different career goals. The Thesis-Based M.S. is oriented toward the student who wants to focus on a particular facet of biomedical engineering practice or research, or as preparation for pursuing doctoral research. Due to the nature of open-ended independent research, a thesis project may extend beyond the time required to complete the required courses in the Project-Based M.S. or M.E. degree programs. The Project-Based M.S. option is designed to gain hands-on technical experience by engaging in defined engineering design projects relevant to clinical or industry stakeholders. The M.E. option is course-based and designed for the student interested in acquiring advanced technical depth in an area of biomedical engineering specialization. The M.S. or M.E. degrees can serve as a terminal degree for students interested in advanced technical training, professional development, and specialization in biomedical engineering.

Combined B.S./Master’s Degree Program

This program affords an opportunity for outstanding WPI undergraduate students to earn both a B.S. degree and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering concurrently, and in less time than would typically be required to earn each degree separately. The principal advantage of this program is that it allows for certain credits to be counted towards both degree requirements, thereby reducing the total number of courses taken to earn both degrees. With careful planning and motivation, the Combined Program typically allows a student to complete requirements for both degrees with only one additional year of full-time study beyond the B.S. degree (five years total). However, because a student must still satisfy all degree requirements, the actual time spent in the program may be longer than five years.

Students in the Combined Program may choose to complete any one of the master’s degree options: a Thesis-Based or Project-Based Master of Science (B.S./M.S.) or a Master of Engineering (B.S./M.E.).

Admissions Requirements

Biomedical engineering embraces the application of engineering to the study of medicine and biology. While the scope of biomedical engineering is broad, applicants are expected to have an undergraduate degree or a strong background in engineering and to achieve basic and advanced knowledge in engineering, life sciences, and biomedical engineering. Applicants with degrees in physical and computational sciences, including physics, computer science and applied mathematics are also encouraged to apply.

Applicants with undergraduate degrees in biology or pharmacy that do not have a strong computational or engineering focus are encouraged to explore advanced degree programs offered by collaborating WPI Life Science and Bioengineering departments, such as Biology and Biotechnology (BBT), Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) or Chemistry and Biochemistry (CBC).