January 2012

President’s Column:

Biomedical Engineering poised to excel in 2012

By Richard E. Waugh
BMES President

As we begin the New Year 2012, it is a pleasure to reflect on the field of biomedical engineering and the opportunities that we have to improve the length and quality of life for so many. 

In spite of economic challenges, the future of biomedical engineering continues to be bright.  Several recent articles have identified biomedical engineering as the occupation with the largest growth potential of any career over the next 10 years. READ MORE

Washington Report:
Omnibus bill includes small increase for NIH

Courtesy of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

The 112th Congress passed an omnibus bill (HR 2055) that included small funding increases for both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE SC), according to FASEB’s Washington Update. The House approved the omnibus by a vote of 296-121. Senate passage came via a 67-32 vote. READ MORE

UW-Madison engineer receives Gates Foundation grant for Point-of-Care Diagnostics technology

BMES member David Beebe, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will receive a $2.5 million Point-of-Care Diagnostics Grant through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges in Global Health, according to an announcement on the university’s Website. READ MORE

BMES member releases book that explores fundamental attributes of reality

BMES member Dr. Daniel J. Schneck’s new book “OMNIOLOGY: A Unified Approach to the Study of Everything” explores the underlying common denominators of all forms of realizable energy and the limits of humanity’s capacity to understand that reality, according to an announcement.

A longtime faculty member at Virginia Tech, Schneck teaches an honors colloquium on his theory of omniology. His research, teaching and interactions with students on the subject inspired and informed the book, a definition and defense of the concept, according to the announcement. READ MORE

Student News

UConn BME students design custom devices for disabled girl

Biomedical engineering students at the University of Connecticut designed a customized chair, a personalized ski sled, and a remote-controlled, battery-powered car for a girl suffering from Rett syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system that occurs mostly in females and can limit a child’s mobility, speech, and cognitive development, according to an article posted on UConn Today. READ MORE

BME students at Arizona State win entrepreneur award

The founders of an Arizona State University student startup, called G3Box, were named "College Entrepreneurs of the Year for 2011" by Entrepreneur Magazine, according to an article on the ASU Website.

The student’s project aims to turn shipping containers into portable maternity clinics that could be shipped to countries with extremely high maternal mortality rates, according to the article. READ MORE

Rensselaer engineering students to visit South Africa to study medical clinic needs

Biomedical engineering students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will travel to South Africa on a mission to identify the unique needs of remote, under-resourced medical clinics, according to an article on the university’s Website. The students will use these findings and field observations to inform the design and development of new medical technologies, according to the article.

Led by Rensselaer Professor Eric Ledet, a BMES member, the group of six students will be hosted by Stellenbosch University, which is just outside of Cape Town in South Africa. READ MORE

University of Utah Team Builds LED Surgical Retractor

Biomedical Engineering students at the University of Utah have developed a surgical retractor with a battery-powered LED and hope to eventually sell their device to hospitals across the country, according to a university announcement. Sophomores Jessica Ashmead and Annicka Carter developed the technology call the OptiGuide. READ MORE

News

Nominations sought for women engineers and scientists’ prize

The Society for Women’s Health Research and the Medtronic Foundation have established an annual prize of $75,000 to recognize a women scientist or engineer for her contributions to women’s health, the organizations announced.

The deadline for nominations is January 28, 2012. READ MORE

FASEB Launches BioArt: Biomedical Image Competition

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is launching BioArt: Biomedical Image Competition, the organization announced.

Each day scientific investigators produce thousands of images during the course of their research. FASEB believes that these images are an important, yet underutilized, resource in the community’s effort to engage and educate the general public and policy makers about biomedical research. To encourage the dissemination of these images, FASEB would like to recognize the most captivating representations of cutting edge biomedical research. READ MORE