Department of Biomedical Engineering
| Ordinary Professor |
Peter Lum |
| Associate Professors |
Sang Wook Lee; Christopher Raub, Chair; Alessandro Vato; Otto Wilson Jr. |
| Clinical Associate Professor |
Gregory Behrmann |
| Lecturers |
Christy Foreman; Jeffrey Hooper; Kristen Miller |
| Adjunct Associate Professor |
Chris Danek |
| Research Associate Professors |
Bidhan Chandra Bandyopadhyay; Li-Yueh Hsu |
| Research Ordinary Professors |
Ugo Della Croce; Harold Szu |
Mission of the Department
The mission of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Catholic University is to educate men and women who can bridge engineering with life sciences in the service of human health and represent the biomedical engineering profession with distinction. Our department serves as a conduit for better understanding of biology through engineering concepts and for utilizing the complex organization of life systems in developing new technologies. The department emphasizes integrative bioengineering and regards the humanities as an integral part of undergraduate education.
Educational Objectives of the Undergraduate Program
The educational objectives of the biomedical engineering undergraduate program are that graduates will:
- Work in careers in biomedical engineering or related fields (e.g., other engineering disciplines, medicine, law, etc.) and will continue developing the necessary skills to obtain leadership positions and other positions of increasing responsibilities.
- Work in research careers by applying their background and knowledge towards the advancement of technology and the betterment of society by contributing to educational and social institutions.
- Continue to learn and to expand and develop their knowledge and skill sets so as to be able to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing global environment.
Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering
Requirements for the program can be found at Biomedical Engineering - Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering (B.B.E.)
The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers an undergraduate degree program leading to the Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical engineers solve problems in medicine or biology by applying the principles and tools of modern engineering. The undergraduate program provides a broad scientific and technical background in engineering, establishing the foundation for lifelong learning on newly emerging health care technologies.
The accredited degree program is designed to prepare the student for a professional career in biomedical engineering or to enter graduate or medical school. The premedical track satisfies the entrance requirements of most medical schools in the United States. Qualified students are encouraged to complete a master's degree through a fifth year of full-time study, with their fourth and fifth years coordinated to accommodate various interests and career objectives.
Unique features of the Catholic University undergraduate program include a strong internship program through partnerships with federal biomedical laboratories, industry, and local hospitals; the unique Washington location (six hospitals within one mile of campus, and a metropolitan area possessing the richest biomedical research environment in the world); the benefits of personalized education and training that come with a smaller academic environment; and well-funded initiatives in biomaterials, biomedical instrumentation, medical imaging and bio-optics, rehabilitation engineering, home care technologies, and tele-medicine that provide a nurturing environment for designing and evaluating innovative technologies for addressing real-world health care problems.
Concentrations - Pre-Med
In addition to the traditional Biomedical Engineering (BE) program, the Department also offers a concentration in Pre-Med/Biotechnology. This track enables students to complete all of their medical school entrance requirements or to take courses with more of a biology and chemistry focus, pertinent to the discipline of biotechnology, while obtaining a degree in biomedical engineering in just four years. These students do not take ENGR 211 Thermodynamics and MATH 221 Calculus III but add CHEM 114 General Chemistry Lab, CHEM 203 / CHEM 213 Organic Chem I/Lab, and CHEM 204 / CHEM 214 Organic Chem II/Lab.