Class details are subject to change. Last updated 3/24/2016

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are provided here for only those courses with a temporary course number such as BME 6086-XX. Undergraduate and Graduate course descriptions are provided at the BME website under either the BS Degree Program Description or the Graduate Program Handbook.

BME 6086-001 Special Topics in BME: Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine

This course will introduce the fundamental concept and translational application of regenerative medicine such as stem cells, gene therapy, cell and tissue therapy. Stem cells play a vital role in the most medical interventions for regenerative medicine. This course will cover tissue-specific stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and their potential therapeutic applications for musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems.

BME 6086-003 Special Topics in BME: Sensory Neuroscience Laboratory

Techniques employed in the experimental investigation of sensory neuroscience. Laboratory exercises in psychophysics and assessment of human and animal sensory abilities. Elementary computer programming is used to synthesize and process sound files and analyze psychophysics data.  A one-hour lecture and two two-hour labs each week.

BME 6086-004 Special Topics in BME: Fundamentals of Neural Control Engineering

The use of Control theory to analyze and control neuronal systems is rapidly becoming an essential tool to design fast, accurate, and reliable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and artificial prostheses. This course introduces fundamental tools to model, estimate, and control the behavior of neuronal systems of increasing complexity (i.e., from single neurons to large cortical layers), with cutting-edge applications in the field of movement disorders, epilepsy, BCI, and rehabilitation. The first part of the course introduces biophysical-based and empirical models to describe the dynamics of neuronal systems, and studies the observability/controllability of these systems. The second part explores linear and nonlinear state estimation theory for neuronal systems, with application to neural decoding and optimal state estimation. The third part focuses on designing state-based control algorithms that interact with the proposed models to achieve assigned goals. The course is organized as a combination of formal lectures on relevant topics and case studies. As part of the workload, each students will be assigned a final project, which requires the use of the proposed tools to solve an open problem in the control engineering of neuronal systems.

BME 6086-004 Special Topics in BME: Intro to PK/PD Modeling and Simulation

Introduction to Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modeling and Simulation is focused on basic conceptual topics and practical examples, with specific context of the the methodology in drug/biologic development and therapeutics. Domain specific content in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will be introduced and no prior knowledge in these areas is required. The course will include lectures, journal-club stye discussions of published manuscripts, and hands-on modeling and simulation exercises using the open-source R software. Pre-requisites include calculus through ordinary differential equations, and some introductory understanding of probability and statistics.

BME 6086-010 Special Topics in BME: Developing Mobile Apps for Healthcare

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing the way doctors and patients approach health care. Many are designed for the doctors themselves, ranging from handy databases about drugs and diseases to sophisticated monitors that read a person’s blood pressure, glucose levels or asthma symptoms. Others are for the patients to gather diagnostic data, for example, or simply to help coordinate care, giving patients an easy way to keep track of their conditions and treatments. In this course, we will learn the basic elements of apps development on Android platforms, including XML, java, UI and etc. No previous programming experience is needed. The final project is chosen from Engineering World Health: developing an app for hearing-loss diagnosis. This course is ideal for students who want to develop healthcare-related apps for their senior design. The evaluation will be based on homework assignments and the final project.

BME 6086-011 Special Topics in BME: Introduction to Systems Biology

A biology world as seen by engineers, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists. The goal is to provide the necessary background to read modeling papers, choose Systems Biology resources that will help in biological projects, and be able to select a modeling technique appropriate for a given biological project. Contents: Predictive mathematical models and their dynamical behavior; Stability, switching and stochasticity of a biological system; Resources needed to start building a model; Models exchange, simulation and visualization; Public databases and software tools available for a modeler.

BME 6086-020 Special Topics in BME: Biomedical Entrepreneurship

This course will prepare students for being innovators and entrepreneurs in life science industries, such as medical devices and biopharmaceuticals. It will involve inter-disciplinary teams that tackle real clinical needs to offer technical solutions and business models that might enable future commercialization. Teams will be aided by industry expert speakers and mentors and faculty coaches. It is expected that businesses might form from the class, but regardless, students will have had an experience that will help them be entrepreneurs in startups or within established firms. Other course information/considerations: Targeting (biomedical, mechanical, and electrical) engineers, MBAs, nurses, medical students, and other health science students.