Biomedical Engineering
What is
Biomedical Engineering?
Biomedical engineering (BME) is a rapidly growing
transdisciplinary field that bridges the gap between technology,
medicine and biology. The core aim of BME is to find practical solutions
in medical and biomedical sciences using engineering approaches and
analyses. There are many areas in health care where engineering
approaches are needed, for example, developing life support systems,
designing devices to aid the impaired or disabled, or creating systems
to allow better diagnosis of medical disorders. Consequently Biomedical
Engineers are vital in the management of technology in hospitals and
health care delivery.
For more information on Biomedical
Engineering see the
IEEE careers guide
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What do Biomedical Engineers do?
Working closely with health care
professionals, Biomedical Engineers use their engineering expertise to analyse
and solve problems in biological and medical areas with the aim of improving
health care. This can include the design and enhancement of tools, devices and
software, in order to develop new procedures, as well as carrying out research
to solve clinical problems.
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What makes a good Biomedical Engineer?
A good Biomedical Engineer is someone
who can define a medical problem in engineering terms and then find a solution
to that problem that is able to meet the practical requirements of the medical
arena as well as those in the Engineering. The Biomedical engineering field
provides the opportunity to give back to the community by addressing the
problems of medical care.
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BME @ UQ...
the
opportunities
are limitless
Research Higher Degree
Medical Degree
Electrical Engineering
Career In Engineering
Entrepreneurial Activities
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What makes studying BME at UQ different?
At ITEE our research focus is on
developing new tools to improve data acquisition, image reconstruction, and
image analysis from medical images, such as magnetic resonance imaging and
histological imaging. Our close links with industry and hospitals allow us to
respond to clinical needs with immediacy through the alignment of our
research. Furthermore, in 2007 our Biomedical Engineering Research Group
received funding from the Smart State Innovation Building Fund to establish a
$6.74 million facility for Medical Diagnostic Technologies in Queensland (MedTeQ).
The facility will bring about significant advances in health
technology by drawing together world-leading researchers with clinicians at
Brisbane’s major hospitals.
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The University of Queensland is a hotspot for biotechnological advancement in
Australia, housing state-of-the-art facilities in a broad range of research
fields. Extensive access to a multitude of well equipped laboratories at the
University of Queensland ensures that we provide high-quality research and
teaching in Biomedical Engineering. The staff guiding the Biomedical Engineering
program are also engaged in highly active and successful research collaborations
in local academia, hospitals and industries. Their research links include:
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What can I do
with a degree in Biomedical Engineering?
Study and work opportunities are limitless at the interface of biomedicine
and engineering. As a biomedical engineer, you may be involved in the design,
construction and development of:
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health monitoring devices or computers, e.g. blood chemistry sensors, or
devices for surgery, intensive care, or mobile use,
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diagnostic systems, e.g. medical imaging systems (such as CT, PET, MRI,
SPECT, ultrasound,)
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therapeutic systems, e.g. surgical laser system, automated drug
delivery, gene therapy, tissue engineering,
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mechanical and computer models of physiological function, e.g. a virtual
heart, aortic valve, biochemical pump,
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prosthetics and implantable mechanical aids, e.g. cardiac pacemakers,
defibrillators, blood oxygenators, artificial vessels, organs, joints and
limbs,
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clinical laboratories and units utilising advanced biomedical
technologies.
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Career opportunities
Biomedical Engineers have experience in many disciplines
within engineering, medicine and biology, consequently they are employed in a
range of fields including:
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universities
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industry
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hospitals
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research facilities
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teaching
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government agencies
Employment opportunities in Australia and overseas
include hospitals, biotechnology companies, medical equipment manufacturers,
research institutes, regulatory authorities (e.g. FDA) and government health
departments. Many Biomedical Engineering students go on to do further study in
either Masters or PhD degrees at the University of Queensland.
For more information on careers in Biomedical Engineering see
http://www.bmes.org/careers.asp
For more information contact us:
enquiries-bme@itee.uq.edu.au
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