Message from the Chair and BME Program Philosophy
Biomedical engineering is now being recognized by the world at large as one
of the most important disciplines of the new millennium - with impact on human
health, population control, environmental sustainability, prosperity, and human
dignity. UVAs leadership role in defining the discipline has been substantial,
going back to 1967, and is now expanding rapidly through new exciting young
faculty directions, new research programs, a new BME building constructed in
2002, and the education of new talent at the undergraduate level.
Our new B.S. degree in BME was approved in 2003 and already has 110 students
enrolled, all of whom will be educated in the environment of the nation's #1
public university and the societal leadership focus of our engineering school
at UVa.
Our graduate program attracts graduate students from around the world, who
come to study and perform research with leading BME scholars and practitioners.
We have a world-class cardiovascular bioengineering group spanning from molecular
dynamics of heart pathology to real-time MRI cardiac imaging to targeted drug
delivery for vascular inflammation to computational systems modeling of microvessel
growth. Our consortium of biomedical imaging researchers is unique, spanning
ultrasound systems to MRI to image-based cardiovascular therapies. Tissue engineering
and regenerative medicine is a new interdisciplinary initiative in BME at UVa.
We invite the most independent young minds to join us as graduate students or
as post-doctoral fellows in these explorations.
Linkages across disciplines are growing ever more important - in discovery
of new knowledge via big science as well as in development of biomedical product
ideas originating in the mind of an individual. It is one of our core beliefs.
Our program hosts more Bioengineering Research Partnerships (major team grants
from the NIH) than any other academic center in the nation. Our program is surrounded
by superb complementary programs including the Cardiovascular Research Center
and the Center for Nanotechnology, among others. UVa is at the forefront in
these efforts.
 Our
program philosophy is captured in the phrase: "EXPLORE, DISCOVER, INVENT".
We believe that as a still young field, BME stands at the threshold of an explosion
of knowledge - and utilization of knowledge - in the biological sciences and
bioengineering. BME must continually search out new fundamental knowledge, requiring
great creativity and ingenuity, while also seeking to apply the knowledge in
innovative ways to improve human health.
We strive to maintain an environment conducive to such advancements, well-summarized
by Picasso:
"Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist once one grows up."
- Pablo Picasso
Let us all use our artistry to apply our knowledge to benefit others and achieve
the level of excellence that we envision. Let us make no little plans.
Our website highlights some of the innovative biomedical engineering linkages
among our own faculty and students, around the UVa grounds, and beyond. We hope
you enjoy it and join us - as a student, a colleague, a parent, an alumnus,
a corporate partner, or personal friend of BME at UVa.
Thomas C. Skalak
Professor and Chair
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