NSERC grant supports unique biomedical technology program

Monday, July 16, 2018

How can engineers create more effective biomedical technologies? According to Catherine Burns, executive director of the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology and systems design engineering professor, practical knowledge is the key.

Catherine Burns
Today’s biomedical engineers must understand the needs of patients and clinicians, solve challenging problems and manage partnerships at the interface of engineering and health. This is the inspiration behind a new graduate program, recently awarded funding from the Natural Sciences Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Burns has been awarded a Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE) grant to establish the new program in biomedical technology and research innovation. The $1.65 million grant will help produce engineers with the practical skills and knowledge needed in today’s biomedical industry.

“Most students come out of biomedical engineering graduate programs as great researchers, but not necessarily with a good understanding of how the industry works. This program will produce students who know both the research side and the business side of the industry,” says Professor Burns.

Real-world approach to biomedical technology

The program will provide students with real-world knowledge and experiences, giving them the practical skills needed to create meaningful solutions for patients and clinicians. With industry internships, commercializations courses, international exchanges, and professional workshops, students will graduate with the skills and industry contacts needed to work in the biomedical industry or commercialize their own inventions.

“The technical expertise, professional skills, and interdisciplinary experience students gain in this program will produce biomedical engineers capable of transforming the Canadian health technology landscape,” says Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, University Research.

The program is the first of its kind in Canada, and starts in fall 2018.

For more details on the research partnership