About the Department of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering is one of the fastest growing areas in industry and research. Although a relatively new field, it is firmly rooted in such established disciplines as mathematics, electronics, mechanics, physics, biology and physiology. By focusing the knowledge of these researchers from diverse backgrounds, the Department of Biomedical Engineering is providing clinicians, both in Israel and abroad, with advanced tools for accurate and non-invasive diagnosis as well as improved therapeutic devices for attacking such problems as cardiac disease, the number one cause of death in the Western world.
Research at the Department is carried out in nine main areas:
- Biofluids - flow in the heart and blood vessels, respiratory system
- Biomechanics - structures and materials
- Numerical modeling - physiological systems
- Biomedical image processing
- Physiological signal processing
- Vision- psychophysics, models and algorithm
- Hearing - the middle ear
- Sensory communication - the auditory system
- Computational and systems biology
Recent advances in the Department have attracted considerable attention, both locally and abroad. These include a computerized system for identifying babies susceptible to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome based on heart signal analysis and a minimally invasive system for early detection and location of coronary and vascular occlusions based on dynamic measurements of pressure and flow waveforms in the arteries.
The Department is greatly aided in its research efforts by the Bertold and Sonia Badler Research Fund for Technological Development in Cardiology, the Austrian Friends Bio-Fluid Fund, and the Harold Tanenbaum Fund. Closely associated with the work of the Department are the Nicholas and Elizabeth Slezak Super Center for Cardiac Research and Medical Engineering and the Ela Kodecz Medical Engineering and Physical Sciences Institute.
Education
The Biomedical Engineering Program offers interdisciplinary graduate programs leading to M.Sc and Ph.D degrees in bio-medical engineering. The program is open to students with academic backgrounds in engineering or in the physical or life sciences. Students without engineering degrees are required to complete additional undergraduate courses to acquire competence in engineering. Presently, 64 students are enrolled in the program; 8 pursuing a Ph.D degree and 56 a M.Sc. The program offers two major study tracks: bio-mechanics and bio-electronics.
The curriculum includes core and elective courses. Some courses are also open to undergraduate students who wish to get a taste of bio-medical engineering as an elective.
