When the University of Iowa first listed a biomedical engineering (BME) degree in 1974, the field was just starting to gain a foothold in academia. Housed within the College of Engineering and a short walk from a world-renowned academic medical center, Iowa BME was well-positioned to lend an engineer’s mindset to medical and biological problems, the design of new healthcare instruments, and new paradigms in research.
Fifty years later, the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering is firmly established on campus, partnering across Iowa’s health care disciplines to gain a deeper understanding of human health. With approximately 400 students and 20 faculty members, BME is the second largest department in the college.
"Our strength has always been our people and our ability to collaborate across disciplines to not only solve problems but to fundamentally understand how things work,” said Kim “Avrama” Blackwell, BME professor and DEO. “The strong foundation we have built over the past half century has created exciting opportunities to be change agents in the field of BME through our graduates and our research for years to come.”
While still rooted in improving health, Iowa BME’s focus has evolved and expanded since its early days.
A transformative moment in the department’s history was the generous $12 million grant in 2018 from the Carver Charitable Trust. The grant, which led to the naming of the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, also led to significant expansion of research and teaching in pulmonary and respiratory biomedicine. The funds led to new faculty members and graduate students and the pursuit of breakthroughs in airway cystic fibrosis, obstructive sleep apnea, and infection-resistant medical devices.
Cellular and tissue engineering, computational biomedical engineering, bioimaging, and bioinformatics are also integral to the present and future of the department. Research is targeting some of the most pressing health care dilemmas, including heart disease, Parkinson’s, and macular degeneration.
“Our commitment to preparing the next generation of biomedical engineers and conducting cutting-edge interdisciplinary research has us poised to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time, ensuring that the next fifty years are as transformative as the last,” Blackwell said.