New appointee Subith Vasu and reappointee Alain Kassab are professors in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS). They are among of 麻豆映画传媒 faculty members to receive the five-year trustee chair appointments, which were created in 2003 to help retain and attract exceptional faculty. The designation carries an annual stipend for honorees to advance their scholarship, part of which can be used as a salary supplement.

Deans nominate聽 for the appointments. A trustee chair review committee evaluates them, and they are affirmed by 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 president and provost to take effect in August.

Vasu and Kassab share a passion for teaching and promoting student success, and they have an array of impressive accomplishments as scholars and researchers.

Vasu joined the university in 2012 and is an expert in optical diagnostics and spectroscopy for energy and aerospace. His research group at 麻豆映画传媒 has produced more than 500 articles for journals and conferences about using diagnostic sensors for various applications, including propulsion, power generation, transportation and spacecraft air quality monitoring. His various national and international early career awards include the 2020 U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director鈥檚 Fellowship, 2018 DARPA Young Faculty Award and the 2017 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Dilip R. Ballal Early Career Award, an international award given to only one person each year. His 麻豆映画传媒 honors include earning a Reach for the Stars Award, which recognizes highly successful research and creative activity by early-career professionals, and a 麻豆映画传媒 Luminary award.

In nominating him for the trustee chair appointment, CECS Dean Michael Georgiopoulos described Vasu as 鈥渁mong the top scholars in the U.S. and the world鈥� who plays a critical role in the college鈥檚 core energy and propulsion research.

鈥淗is work on understanding the fundamentals of chemical weapon simulants destruction using shock tubes has brought international attention to 麻豆映画传媒,鈥� Georgiopoulos said. 鈥淭he work was featured in a United Nation鈥檚 documentary, Combustion Man. This is a rare and once-in-a-lifetime achievement for all scientists and engineers.鈥�

Kassab joined 麻豆映画传媒 in 1991 and directs the biomedical engineering program at 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 . He has long distinguished the university nationally and internationally through research, partnerships and the advancement of the mechanical and aerospace engineering curriculum. For instance, his work on treatment planning for congenital heart disease has drawn national attention and the support of the American Heart Association and other research foundations. His research engages several disciplines and includes computational methods in heat transfer and fluid flow, inverse problems, boundary element, meshless methods and in bioengineering, generating more than 400 scientific publications. Kassab is a Pegasus Professor, the highest designation a faculty member can earn at 麻豆映画传媒, and his lengthy list of honors includes being elected a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

In nominating Kassab for reappointment, Georgiopoulos wrote: 鈥淒r. Kassab is a highly productive researcher with an international reputation in computational methods in heat transfer, fluid flow and bioengineering. He has made highly significant and consistent contributions to 麻豆映画传媒 developing and growing academic programs. He is an outstanding educator in his own right. In my opinion, he has achieved the extraordinary levels of accomplishments in teaching, research and service expected of a 麻豆映画传媒 Trustee Chair.鈥�

Both appointments align with 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 strategic plan goals of retaining and recruiting outstanding faculty.

Under the mentorship of Pegasus Professor Alain Kassab, Messmore shifted career paths once again, this time in the direction of biomedical engineering, a field that combines her passions for both medicine and engineering. Now Messmore, is one of the first students to pursue a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering at 麻豆映画传媒.

The doctorate in biomedical engineering, which launched in Fall 2022, is the newest degree offered through the in the . The program is designed to prepare students for research and development careers in the biomedical industry, government labs and organizations and academia.

Supporting the Industry

The program also supports the demand for a workforce with advanced biomedical engineering knowledge and skills. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of biomedical engineers and bioengineers will increase steadily throughout the decade. Florida is also among the states with the highest employment in this field.

One employer of biomedical engineers is the company .decimal, which manufactures devices and develops software that can assist with the treatment of cancer. Kevin Erhart 鈥�04 鈥�06MS 鈥�09PhD, the president and chief technology officer of the company, says that the pipeline of students from 麻豆映画传媒 to industry can be invaluable to small companies like his.

鈥淗aving local Ph.D. students engaged in work within our fields of interest would open the door to collaborative projects where students solve novel problems and companies commercialize the results through their existing sales and marketing channels,鈥� Erhart says. 鈥淪tudents will hopefully be better exposed to real-world research and development and also have opportunities to interact with local companies that would have significant interest in hiring them upon graduation.鈥�

Opportunities for Growth

Students are exposed to real-world research opportunities in faculty labs at both CECS and the College of Medicine, and they also have the chance to engage in research projects with local medical professionals. Steven Scheller, who joined the program when it launched in Fall 2022, says that it provides an in-depth look at what it takes to design and develop medical devices that doctors and patients use every day.

鈥淚n many cases, doctors will have the medical knowledge and desire to improve a device or develop a new device to help fellow medical professionals and patients,鈥� he says. 鈥淗owever, they lack the engineering background and expertise to determine how to go about designing and building a device. I want to be a physician who is able to bridge this gap. I want to have both the medical and engineering knowledge and skill necessary to take an idea I have to invent or improve a medical device, design, build, and test it in order to dramatically improve patients鈥� lives.鈥�

When it comes to their area of study, students can tailor the degree program to their interests, which Messmore says sets it apart from similar doctoral programs.

鈥淪ince biomedical engineering is a very rapidly advancing field and is also so broad, the degree maintains the balance of requiring fundamentals in the field but allowing people to tailor their electives to whatever subfield they wish,鈥� Messmore says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great because it doesn鈥檛 limit anyone to a specific specialty, and you can pursue whatever you desire 鈥� biomechanics, biofluids or even regenerative medicine 鈥� all while working with world-class faculty.鈥�

Students are also not limited in how they enter the program. Graduates with a master鈥檚 degree can apply as can graduates with a bachelor鈥檚 degree who would like to earn a master鈥檚 degree along the way.

The First Alum 鈥� With Many More to Come

Currently, nine students are enrolled in the program, which will soon boast its first alumnus. Jinfeng Li 鈥�19MS 鈥�22PhD transferred from the mechanical engineering doctoral program to biomedical doctoral program last fall. He graduated in Fall 2022 under the tutelage of Associate Professor Helen Huang.

鈥淐ompared to other programs, the biomedical engineering Ph.D. program is a highly interdisciplinary program that trains students to solve biomedical problems with engineering approaches,鈥� Li says. 鈥淭his program has many faculty members who are rising stars, accompanied with outstanding resources from the main campus and Lake Nona, and offers [various] career opportunities.鈥�

Li may be the first alumnus of the biomedical doctoral program, but he certainly won鈥檛 be the last. Tamar Yishay 鈥�20 鈥�21MS is one future graduate of the program and a current alumna of 麻豆映画传媒. She says the program will give her more exposure to the clinical work environment and will allow her to build off of her previous work in the undergraduate biology and master鈥檚 in nanotechnology programs.

鈥淎s I strive to strengthen and cultivate my niche in the science world, the pursuit of a biomedical engineering Ph.D. will inspire me to continue to develop my identity within the 麻豆映画传媒 community and to bring about revolutionary contributions to the art of science and medicine,鈥� Yishay says. 鈥淢oreover, it provides an exciting journey to healthy living, which is what I hope to embody throughout my career and life.鈥�

The deadline for applications for the doctorate in biomedical engineering program are due July 1 for fall and December 1 for spring. 聽For more information about the program, visit

Several mechanical and aerospace engineers at 麻豆映画传媒 focus their expertise on finding creative solutions to various heart conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States with one person dying every 36 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

鈥淚t鈥檚 rewarding to work on such interesting problems at the interface of engineering and medicine with the precise aim to improve quality of life,鈥� says Alain Kassab, a professor and director of the 麻豆映画传媒 biomedical engineering program.

Removing the Defects From Pediatric Open-heart Surgery

When children are born with a defective ventricle, they typically undergo a series of three surgeries to reconfigure the heart and the circulatory system. During the final procedure, a new system known as Fontan circulation is established. This allows the blood that returns from the body to flow directly to the lungs without passing through the heart, while the single functioning ventricle pumps blood to the body.

Children typically undergo the Fontan procedure between the ages of 1 and 3. While it may help them survive infancy, it doesn鈥檛 guarantee that they鈥檒l live a long life.

鈥淎 substantial proportion of patients with the Fontan circulation do not do well as a consequence of having taken the pumping right ventricle out of the pulmonary or 鈥楩ontan鈥� side of the circulation,鈥� says Kassab. 鈥淎lthough this surgical treatment began nearly 30 years ago, the mortality rate is still elevated with nearly half of patients not surviving beyond the age of 20.鈥�

鈥淧hysicians believe that a substantial proportion of patients with the Fontan circulation do not do well because the pumping right ventricle has been taken out of the pulmonary side of the circulation,鈥� says Kassab. 鈥淎lthough the first Fontan surgery was performed nearly 50 years ago, the mortality rate is still elevated with nearly half of patients not surviving beyond the age of 20.鈥�

To improve upon the defects created by Fontan circulation, Kassab is collaborating with a team of multidisciplinary researchers to develop a self-powered injection jet shunt that utilizes the heart鈥檚 own energy to alleviate the increase in pressure caused by the rerouted circulatory system.

The team 鈥� which includes William DeCampli, the chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Arnold Palmer Children鈥檚 Hospital and a professor of surgery at the 麻豆映画传媒 College of Medicine; Ray Prather 鈥�13 鈥�15MS 鈥�18笔丑顿, a senior research associate at Arnold Palmer Children鈥檚 Hospital; and Eduardo Divo聽鈥�98PhD, the chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Engineering 鈥� initiated this project in 2015. Together, they鈥檝e secured more than $700,000 in grants from the American Heart Association, the Children鈥檚 Heart Foundation, and Additional Ventures, a nonprofit that supports research on single ventricle heart defects.

鈥淥ur close collaboration with Dr. DeCampli and Arnold Palmer Children鈥檚 Hospital is the key to effectively addressing such a complex multi-disciplinary problem,鈥� says Kassab. 鈥淓ach team member brings key expertise to bear on the critical aspects of the physics and physiology of the problem.鈥�

The latest research data was published in

Monitoring Heart Failure Through Sound

Patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure may be able to monitor their heart health with the aid of a credit card-sized device in the near future. This innovative, non-invasive heart monitor will use acoustic technology to monitor the deterioration of heart function, which could reduce the need for patient hospitalization and even prevent death.

Associate Professor Hansen Mansy, who runs the Biomedical Acoustics Research Laboratory, is developing this device in collaboration with Richard Sandler of the 麻豆映画传媒 College of Medicine. The pair received a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2017 to complete the project.

The device is designed to be used by patients, but it will provide important data to physicians who can determine if further medical intervention is necessary. Patients will place the small device over their chests and a sensor will detect the chest vibrations caused by their heart activity. That recorded activity can then be uploaded to a mobile phone or computer and sent to physicians daily via a secure patient portal.

Physicians can use the data to determine if a patient鈥檚 heart heath is worsening. If it is, they can implement a more effective treatment plan that can prevent hospitalization and improve the patient鈥檚 quality of life.

Mansy and his research team have already begun clinical testing on the device.

鈥淎lthough the clinical testing has been slowed down due to COVID-19, initial results are encouraging and suggest that early detection of the need for hospital readmission may be feasible using our proposed methods,鈥� Mansy says.

The team has used advanced signal processing methods to measure the electromechanical signals of the heart. The features of those signals are extracted and the data is put into a machine learning algorithm that builds the model that can predict heart function deterioration.

Mansy and Sandler are collaborating with AdventHealth and the Biomedical Acoustics Research Company on the project. Mansy says that the next steps for the team include further analysis and additional clinical testing.

Creating Faster and More Accurate Diagnoses

In the Computational Biomechanics Lab, Assistant Professor Luigi Perotti and his team are using computational modeling to develop a new non-invasive method of detecting the biomarkers of cardiac deformation, which could lead to faster and more accurate diagnoses of heart disease.

鈥淥ne of our main focuses is to analyze imaging data to determine the biomarkers of cardiac health,鈥� Perotti says. 鈥淭hese biomarkers could then be extracted from patient-specific data and indicate the onset or progression of cardiac diseases.鈥�

By using patient data that is already available in the clinic rather than data acquired through a research setting, Perotti says that physicians can diagnose their patients much faster. He believes their diagnoses can also be more accurate by using aggregate cardiomyocyte strains 鈥� made of the cells responsible for contracting the heart and pumping blood through the circulatory system 鈥� as biomarkers for cardiac health.

Perotti is collaborating on this project with researchers from Stanford University and the University of Lyon.

How Biomechanical Forces Influence Heart Disease

While his colleagues look for solutions to the problems caused by heart disease, Assistant Professor Robert Steward uses his engineering expertise to explore the problems that cause heart disease.

With the support of a $738,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Steward has spent the past five years investigating the biomechanical forces that can influence the early stages of heart disease known as atherosclerosis. This stage is characterized by an excessive buildup of white blood cells and bad cholesterol in the arteries. Steward found that blood flow induces mechanical stress that allows white blood cells to enter weak areas of the heart.

鈥淭he findings yielded from this work have the potential to lead to novel, mechanics-based therapeutics for cardiovascular disease,鈥� Steward says.

Steward collaborated with Sampath Parthasarathy from the 麻豆映画传媒 College of Medicine on the project, which officially concludes in May. He plans to publish the findings in an academic journal in the coming months.

In the meantime, Steward will use his CAREER grant, sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, to pick up where the NIH project left off. He was one of five 麻豆映画传媒 researchers to receive the award this past year.

He says the NSF project will focus on the basic science of how biomechanical forces influence the endothelium, a group of cells that line the blood vessels in the body, including the arteries. With this knowledge, better therapies for heart disease could be developed, or the disease could potentially be eliminated.

Over the past few months, Steward and his Cellular Biomechanics Lab have been exploring the use of machine learning algorithms to predict the biomechanical response of the endothelium, but he says further refinement is needed for this portion of the project.

About the Researchers

Kassab joined 麻豆映画传媒 in 1991 and has received numerous awards and distinctions since then, including the titles of Pegasus Professor and 麻豆映画传媒 Trustee Chair. His research spans several disciplines in computational heat transfer and fluid dynamics, inverse problems, boundary element and meshless methods. He has been funded by the American Heart Association, Orlando Health, Siemens, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and NASA, to name a few. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in engineering sciences and his master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering, all from the University of Florida. He is also a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Mansy received his Ph.D. at the Illinois Institute of Technology and bachelor and master鈥檚 degrees at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt. He was associate professor of bioengineering at Rush Medical College before joining 麻豆映画传媒. He has been developing vibro-acoustic medical technologies for the past 20 years with continuous support from the National Institutes of Health. He has supervised bioengineering student projects at Rush Medical College, University of Illinois at Chicago and 麻豆映画传媒 and has developed bioinstrumentation, and mechanical and aerospace engineering measurements lab facilities at 麻豆映画传媒 and Illinois Institute of Technology.

Perotti received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy and his master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees from the California Institute of Technology. He served as an America Heart Association postdoctoral fellow at UCLA and in 2017, he received an NIH K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award聽to continue his research on combining computational models with MRI data and conduct pre-clinical studies.聽He joined 麻豆映画传媒 as an assistant professor in 2019.

Steward joined 麻豆映画传媒 as an assistant professor in 2015. He previously served as a postdoctoral scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he investigated the influence of fluid shear stress on endothelial biomechanics. He earned his doctoral degree at Carnegie Mellon University and his bachelor鈥檚 degree at Clark Atlanta University. Steward currently runs the Cellular Biomechanics lab located on 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 Health Science Campus at Lake Nona, where he has multiple projects with the ultimate goal of linking mechanics and medicine.

鈥淚 was hunting for a team that had the right mindset,鈥� said Anne Smallwood, the donor who sent an email out of the blue with an offer that seemed too good to be true. 鈥淭here are brilliant engineers all over this country. How the Limbitless team internalizes their objectives is important. They care about the outcome, but they are thinking past the idea of just turning out a really good product. They are thinking about how it will change the life of the recipient. And that鈥檚 what mattered to me.鈥�

鈥淗ow the Limbitless team internalizes their objectives is important. … They are thinking about how it will change the life of the recipient.鈥�

Smallwood is not a multi-millionaire. She is a self-described Navy brat who grew up in the Midwest. She retired from clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry, but still teaches courses at Drexel University College of Medicine.聽 One course centers on the process of taking a drug or device from the lab through the labyrinth of development and federal regulation all the way to the patient. She has more than 30 years of experience in that arena, so Smallwood will be advising Limbitless at no cost to help this team as they proceed on their mission to have children鈥檚 prosthetics eventually covered by insurance companies.

Smallwood is able to make this bequest because she didn鈥檛 鈥渓ive up鈥� to her income, and was able to save a nest egg that will benefit Limbitless and two other charities that are close to her heart. Through her estate, she has provided a $1 million bequest that will provide future support for 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 Limbitless Solutions to continue its work. 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy about this, it鈥檚 almost a shame I鈥檓 not dying right now,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I want to be here to help fund-raise, find other allies, and hopefully smooth the path for Limbitless.鈥�

Her family had a general rule that said, 鈥淟eave it better than you found it (not so much fun when staring at the kitchen sink), although sometimes you had to think about just what that meant and not interfere too quickly.鈥� 聽She grew up around military families and knows their loved ones didn鈥檛 come home unchanged from the Vietnam and Iraq wars. Smallwood has outlived all her close family, which was heart-rending at the time but paved the way for using her resources to make a long-term impact which will honor her military roots.

Making the Connection

Initially she wanted to donate to a university that was working on novel prosthetics that could benefit veterans. 鈥淚t grieves me that the average waiting time to get an artificial limb is about two years,鈥� Smallwood said. 鈥淭he limb is needed because the veteran has generally been blown up and watched troops nearby die in the process. Can you imagine waiting for something that can help you dress, pick up your child, and have a more normal life?鈥� Smallwood emailed several universities that had groups working on prosthetics asking for a meeting because she wanted to give a gift. Most never responded. 麻豆映画传媒 engineering professor Alain Kassab received one of those emails and forwarded it to Limbitless founder Albert Manero 鈥�12 鈥�14MS 鈥�16PhD.

鈥淚 still remember seeing the email and asking, is this for real?鈥� Manero said. 鈥淲e checked it out and we are so glad we did. Anne is amazing. She cares more about people and wants her legacy to be more than just a donation. It鈥檚 about changing lives, which is part of our core beliefs.鈥�

鈥淸Anne] cares more about people and wants her legacy to be more than just a donation. It鈥檚 about changing lives, which is part of our core beliefs.”

Manero explained to Smallwood that children have a need for prosthetics because accessibility is limited for many reasons: children can outgrow the prosthetic, there is a higher rejection rate due to a device鈥檚 weight or appearance, and insurance companies may balk at exceedingly high price tags of the technology. He also shared other projects the group is working on, including Project Xavier, a device that allows a person who is paralyzed from the neck down to drive a wheelchair simply by using facial muscles.

Smallwood was thrilled. She saw the possibility of Limbitless making a difference for children immediately. She also believes that this and other projects on the horizon will help veterans. But she said what won her over wasn鈥檛 the technology or ingenuity 鈥� although that is 鈥渟pectacular.鈥�

鈥淚 read a lot about leadership and decision making and development, and it seems that if all skill sets were equal, it is the heart and the perspective of the team that makes the difference in achieving ultimate success,鈥� she said. 鈥淟imbitless has both.鈥�

Everyone鈥檚 Legacy

It鈥檚 all about the end user for Limbitless.

鈥淥ne of our primary goals, from the very beginning, has been to make sure that no child who needs an arm goes without because they can鈥檛 afford it,鈥� Manero said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what drives us and we are working hard to get there.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 finding the right cause, that smart way to approach monumental goals 鈥� but most important, it鈥檚 finding people with heart who just won鈥檛 give up.鈥�

Last month Limbitless announced its first clinical trials in collaboration with OHSU and its famed prosthetics expert Dr. Albert Chi. The estimated cost for the first 20 children to go through the clinical trial is $10,000 each, which includes the 3D printed arms, travel stipends, and four visits with occupational therapists during the yearlong process. Several philanthropists have helped with the initial group of children that will start the trial in fall 2018.

Making a big difference can be an overwhelming endeavor. But the right heart can turn dreams into reality.

鈥淚 know that sounds simplistic, but that鈥檚 really the core for any donor,鈥� Smallwood said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 finding the right cause, that smart way to approach monumental goals 鈥� but most important, it鈥檚 finding people with heart who just won鈥檛 give up.鈥�

Smallwood said the reason she agreed to 鈥済o public鈥� with her gift was the hope it would inspire other 鈥渞egular people鈥� to donate.

鈥淎lmost everyone I know has running water, a place to sleep, and even has a choice of food every day,鈥� Smallwood said. 鈥淲e are so fortunate.聽 We have another blessing that most of the world does not have 鈥� we can make a difference. I think if given the opportunity everyone would like to make the world a better place through donations of money or talent or time. The point is, you have to jump in and do it. Don鈥檛 think you have enough to make a meaningful donation? Let me share something I heard years ago, 鈥業f you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in a bed with a mosquito.鈥欌��

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鈥淕rowing up, I saw how that sort of technology changed his life as well our whole family and made it possible for him to live like a normal person,鈥� Sleppy said. 鈥淪o I want to use my engineering skills toward the medical field to be able to impact other people鈥檚 lives the way it impacted my family.鈥�

Sleppy is among 15 麻豆映画传媒 engineering students who are getting to know the inner workings of one of the most intricately designs machines – the human body.

Thanks to a partnership between 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Medicine, the first cohort of students in 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 new biomedical engineering (BME) master鈥檚 program are receiving a tactile introduction to the human anatomy.

The master鈥檚 program trains young engineers to design medical devices for implant within or on the body, such as heart pumps, pacemakers, and prosthetics. Most of the students have not had any real exposure to anatomy. So the College of Medicine鈥檚 Mechanics of Biostructures class is designed to give them a better understanding of the body鈥檚 structures.

College of Medicine faculty members Drs. Mohtashem Samsam and Robert Steward lecture the students on basic anatomy. Then the students have seven four-hour lab sessions with Dr. Daniel Topping, assistant professor of family medicine and anatomy. In the lab, the future biomedical engineers examine the musculoskeletal structure of cadavers 鈥� persons who have donated their bodies to help train medical students.

鈥淲e take them through various body systems including the lungs and chest cavity, spine and back, and the upper and lower extremities,鈥� explained Topping. 鈥淭he lab runs concurrently with the anatomy class for our first-year medical students and so the students are not required to do dissections as much of the work has already been done by the medical students. But they are able to touch and feel and we pay special attention to cadavers that are found to have medical devices or prosthetics. We鈥檝e had donors with breast implants, hip replacements and a pacemaker.鈥�

鈥淚t really humanizes the experiences when you鈥檙e seeing the body intact and as a whole system rather than just parts,鈥� said student Katherine McGrane. 鈥淲e learn so much from physically seeing and touching these innermost components that we鈥檙e used to seeing only in drawings. This give us a lot more insight on how we will go forward and design better medical implants and treatments.鈥�

Program director and 麻豆映画传媒 engineering professor, Dr. Alain Kassab said the collaboration provides an indispensable experience for the future biomedical engineers.

鈥淔or students that are working on cardiovascular flow, for example, it鈥檚 the first time they have seen what an aorta looks like in terms of the structure, the lumen and the actual geometry of these vessels,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o this will make them better modelers and better at providing solutions for medical problems.鈥�

Kassab said he is motivated by the feedback he has received from faculty and students involved in the joint program. 鈥淭here are a lot of BME programs that don鈥檛 offer such an opportunity and we think that we鈥檝e got something that鈥檚 very unique,鈥� Dr. Kassab said. 鈥淭his collaboration between the College of Medicine and the College of Engineering certainly builds bridges and we are looking forward to expanding this relationship in terms of pedagogical developments and research.鈥�

Biomedical engineers, with an average salary of $77,000 a year, are in demand and are projected to continue to be in demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The new biomedical engineering program links education and research efforts from the College of Engineering & Computer Science and the College of Medicine. It will be housed in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department and focus on using engineering in medicine, such as developing better systems to deliver drugs, train medical professionals and repair damaged organs.

Those who pursue this field are looking to find ways to help doctors with surgical and cancer treatment planning, engineering-based simulation in cardiovascular disease and treatment, development of devices for improved and novel diagnosis, image-guided surgery and surgical robotics, and development of assistive and rehabilitative technology.

The idea of the biomedical engineering master鈥檚 program came after the two colleges held an event in 2013 at which 60 faculty members spent a day learning about each other鈥檚 specialties and how they could work collaboratively to solve the nation鈥檚 healthcare problems. In addition to creating the master鈥檚 program, the two colleges have already hired joint faculty, set up new labs and mentorship programs at the medical school, and are working on collaborative research efforts.

Sampath Parthasarathy, associate dean of research for the medical school and a cardiovascular scientist, said heart research is a natural area for such collaboration. Engineers can help medical researchers understand systems such as how blood flows in the heart and better engineered treatments for heart blockages.

鈥淲hat we see as a wall, engineers see as gates,鈥� Parthasarathy said. 鈥淎nd they can show us how to open those gates.鈥�

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that national employment of biomedical engineers is projected to grow 27 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. And given Florida鈥檚 aging population, there may be even more opportunities for students with advanced degrees in the state. Florida is one of the top eight states with the highest biomedical engineer employment, with an estimated 800 employees.

鈥淭he new degree strengthens 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 role as a leading metropolitan partnership university engaged in pivotal disciplines with wide-ranging applications and major societal impact,鈥� said Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of the College of Engineering & Computer Science. 鈥淲e expect our master’s degree in biomedical engineering will attract top-performing student researchers who seek to build their careers in a burgeoning field as they work alongside renowned faculty in multiple 麻豆映画传媒 colleges and units.鈥�

Other collaborators on the program include the College of Nursing, College of Optics & Photonics, and College of Sciences. The program provides an opportunity for these researchers and others to more closely collaborate on biomedical engineering research and education. These multi-disciplinary collaborations will advance the aspirational research and educational goals of the university.

麻豆映画传媒 engineering professor Alain Kassab will lead the new program that will launch this fall. The program adds to the university鈥檚 growing focus on biomedical solutions. The university is already recruiting faculty for a Prosthetic Interfaces Cluster, which will be a focal point for world-class research and educational endeavors for 麻豆映画传媒 scholars working on technology pertinent to medical applications, devices and systems.

The new degree program will consist of 30 credit hours at the graduate level in one of three tracks: biofluids, biomechanics, or the biomedical engineering track for the M.D. program. Students in the biofluids and biomechanical tracks should be able to complete the program in two years. The M.D. track would take five years to complete.

An estimated 15 students are expected to enroll the first year, with 34 students per class expected by the fifth year.