Meet our students

UW BME Society

Follow the journey of our students through their lens. Our active BME society captures what life is like as a Biomedical Engineering Student!

Meet our BME Undergraduate Students

Jennifer Tsai

Jennifer Tsai

Jennifer Tsai

Meet Jennifer Tsai!⁣

Hi, I'm Jennifer. I am in my 3B term of Biomedical Engineering (BME).

Were there any defining moments when you realized you wanted to study biomedical engineering?   

Coming to university was confusing because most people were going into traditional engineering disciplines. I felt a little lost initially because I did not know a lot of people who were interested in pursuing science after an engineering degree. However, I found that going into this program has given me an edge, especially in research surrounding healthcare. As engineers, we have a lot of technical and problem-solving skills which has a large advantage in tackling complex research questions.”   

What has it felt like to have a lot of responsibilities as a co-op student?  

It feels freeing because I have to take ownership of projects. You are given the right amount of support and space to navigate the worlds of computation, big data and science. My supervisor also gave me the right amount of mentorship to push me in the right direction and challenge me in ways I needed. It helped me learn to ask the right questions, be critical of myself, and stay motivated to drive my work forward and find new paths to explore.

Any advice for first-year students?

After working in the Cembrowski Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and interacting with other researchers, I became extremely interested in understanding the basis of learning and memory-related disorders such as autism and Alzheimer’s. I wanted to study the genomic patterns and markers that are involved in such diseases on a single-cell level.

BME has garnered my curiosity in science. Curiosity is important because it is a sustaining mindset you can carry forward for the rest of your career. Besides developing a strong intrinsic passion and curiosity, I gained the confidence to ask questions and take risks. Another important lesson I learned is that there are no dumb questions in science and research.

Michael Murray

Michael Murray

Michael Murray

Meet Michael Murray!⁣

Hi, I'm Michael. I am in my 4A term of Biomedical Engineering (BME).

What has been your favourite thing about the program? 

I didn’t know how easy it was to connect with your professors and instructors and participate in cutting-edge research. The program has introduced major opportunities to me and has prepared me for industry and research work.

Any advice for first-year students?

Absorb as much general knowledge as possible. Despite its specialized name, the program exposes you into topics of all disciplines of engineering, whether that be design, software development, machine learning, mechanical or electrical engineering. It is up to you to pursue your understanding in each of these disciplines to the largest degree, such that you have these in your toolbox as working engineers. 

What do you plan to do after graduating?

I would love to pursue graduate studies applying machine learning to medical applications.

What has been your most memorable experience at Waterloo?

I loved attending my first IEEE academic conference (ICRA) funded through my research project through the amazing opportunities presented at Waterloo. The URA (Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program) allowed me to work closely with amazing faculty such as Dr. Richard Nuckols and Dr. James Tung.

Josh Kpioyo

Josh Kpioyo

Josh Kpioyo

Meet Josh Kpioyo!⁣

Hi, I'm Josh. I am in my 3A term of Biomedical Engineering (BME).

Why choose Biomedical Engineering?

I realized in high school that I wanted a career where I could combine my passion for creativity, innovation, and design with my interest in science and technology to ultimately improve people's quality of life in my community and beyond. Biomedical engineering is a field that checks off every item on that list.

What is the best part of the program? 

The courses are tailored to be BME-specific from the start. In my cohort, I feel like part of a community, not just a number. The program covers a broad range of subjects, including coding, math, physics, biochemistry, and design. From the very beginning, there is a specific focus on biomedical applications for the concepts we learn. While other engineering programs often have general first-year courses in large classes with students from many disciplines, BME first-year courses are specific to the program. You take these classes with your cohort, so they are relatively small. You get to know everyone in your class, and professors often know you by name.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I have enjoyed working as a Residence Life Don at St. Jerome’s University, one of the many UW residence buildings on campus. As a live-in student leader, my team and I have been building a welcoming residence community that provides first-year students with a wealth of opportunities to make connections and try new things while having access to all the resources necessary for academic success. I’ve loved hosting events such as basketball tournaments, Mario Kart tournaments, dodgeball games, and more.

Any advice for first-year students?

Make connections. Your network is your most valuable asset for career advancement, and being in the BME program at UW gives you access to experts in a multitude of subjects relevant to your studies. Take the time to talk with your instructors and find out what they are working on outside of teaching. You may discover that their research interests align with your own. If so, you could explore opportunities to work with them during a co-op term, which can help you figure out how to specialize in the broad field of biomedical engineering.