Physics and Engineering in the Practice of Medicine

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Fundamental discoveries in physics and advancements in engineering have transformed the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease. In the past 60 years alone, we have seen the first whole body medical imaging (MRI and CT), successful use of the artificial heart and other implantable devices, decoding of the human genome, wearable and remote monitoring technologies, and numerous laboratory- and home-based diagnostics. These technologies and methods were enabled by critical research in the fundamental engineering disciplines. The goal of this course is to use these examples to introduce students to important concepts in biomedical science, with an overall goal to demonstrate how students can use their engineering training to address unmet clinical needs and opportunities. Topics to be explored include medical devices and instrumentation, biomechanics, biomaterials and implants, medical imaging, diagnostics, and bioinformatics / artificial intelligence. Examples will draw heavily from the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, which will remain a major societal challenge for the foreseeable future. If selected, I will take advantage of local resources to arrange for a trip of a biomedical research facility; for example, in Ireland I have connections through the Naughton Fellowship Program and the Biseach Cancer Research Initiative. Course objectives Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: - Apply concepts of physics, chemistry, electronics, mechanics, and computer science to understand the functioning and creation of medical devices, diagnostics, and imaging - Describe the pathogenesis, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of solid tumor cancers - Identify and understand unmet clinical needs that can be addressed by multidisciplinary teams composed of their core engineering knowledge - Recognize the breadth and scope of the biomedical science industry and its various professional opportunities for engineers