In the period since the foundation was established, we have seen biomedical engineering revolutionize clinical medicine in many areas, such as orthopedics, neonatal care, oncology and cardiology. Another important area is medical imaging, the focus of this annual report. Researchers at universities, small biomedical companies and large international corporations have all contributed to these and other clinical advances. We also have seen biomedical engineers at universities participating increasingly in interdisciplinary teams operating at both the basic and applied levels. Universities, meanwhile, are establishing biomedical engineering departments and programs to respond to new research opportunities and the need for appropriately trained biomedical engineers.
The Whitaker Foundation has been expanding existing programs and creating new ones to encourage the biomedical engineering community to prepare for the formidable research challenges of the future. We have programs that support graduate training, provide research funding for beginning investigators, and help universities create new or enhanced biomedical engineering departments and educational programs. In addition, we are jointly funding programs with the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health to encourage biomedical engineers to develop technology that will reduce health care costs. These programs are detailed in subsequent pages of this annual report.
In the midst of this progress, however, there are some concerns. Federal support for research, including biomedical research, could be affected by efforts to reduce the federal deficit. If government support for academic research becomes less available, industrial support for academic research will become more critical. Yet industry is wrestling with challenges of its own. As regulatory and liability problems mount, biomedical companies are under increased pressure to move operations overseas.
Despite these concerns about future research support and the continued strength of the domestic biomedical industry, I am confident that biomedical engineering will continue to flourish. Student enrollment in biomedical engineering is on the rise. Universities are increasingly acknowledging that biomedical engineering is a unique engineering discipline and they are providing it with the same departmental status as other engineering disciplines. The establishment of new departments is especially important because this provides the best environment for hiring faculty, securing space and attracting students. It also ensures long-term viability for biomedical engineering programs in these uncertain times.
In order to prepare for the future, many biomedical engineering departments are seeking advice on educational programs, research initiatives and technology transfer from industrial liaison committees. Such committees will become even more essential in the future. Universities must understand the needs of the academic and industrial marketplace and design educational programs that will provide students with the training and skills required to seek employment in both sectors. In addition, research programs at universities must be relevant and address areas that will attract government and industrial funding. This should include research on the use of technology to reduce health care costs without compromising quality.
Because of its inherent strength, I remain optimistic about the future of biomedical engineering. The evolution of imaging is an excellent example of how biomedical engineers have contributed to improved diagnosis and treatment. There have been many similar successes in the past and I am convinced biomedical engineers will actively participate in most advances in medical science in the future. For this to occur, however, there need to be outstanding biomedical engineering departments, faculty, students and educational programs. The Whitaker Foundation is committed to assisting universities as they pursue these objectives.
G. Burtt Holmes
Foundation Committee Chairman