http://bme.mcmaster.ca
A wide gap currently exists between researchers trained in life sciences and those trained in engineering – a gap that represents an impediment to progress in numerous health related areas. Major academic and research & development opportunities will present themselves to universities that have the vision, commitment and innovation to bridge this gap.
The McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) was established to train professionals who are equally at home in both biomedical and engineering environments. We are at the forefront of training a new breed of health care professional who are capable of integrating into research studies and embracing and utilizing new technologies.
Biomedical Engineering at
McMaster
McMaster University’s Faculties of Engineering and Health Sciences have been brought together to create a unique research and training program under the umbrella of the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME). Improved healthcare and outcomes grounded in bioengineering require new approaches emphasizing integration and collaboration among traditional research areas.
The School provides a unique collaborative environment that leverages our existing expertise in medical sciences and engineering, and that links current and emerging areas of molecular, medical and bioengineering research.
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■ Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering
■ Research is ongoing in cardiovascular materials, ocular materials, biosensors, antibacterial materials, and bone-interfacing materials. Work in tissue engineering involves physiologic responses to biomaterials including infl ammation, immunologic responses, coagulation, fi brosis, cell differentiation and infection. The use of encapsulation to isolate implanted cells from the host’s immune system is also under investigation.
“Vision loss in Canada, due to such diseases as age related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, is increasing at a dramatic rate with the aging of the population. My research program is aimed at developing novel biomaterials for treatment of vision disorders by replacing diseased or damaged tissue with appropriate cellular components coupled with a biomaterial scaffold or by augmenting existing treatment methods by controlling and prolonging delivery of therapeutic agents. The program encompasses a broad range of ocular diseases and vision disorders including diseases of anterior and posterior segment as well as refractive problems.”
Dr. Heather Sheardown, Associate Professor
■ Biomedical Imaging
■ Biomedical imaging research covers imaging of organs, tissues, cells and molecules in biological systems. Tissue and organ imaging research
includes CT, SPECT, MRI, PET, and optical imaging. Facilities include SPECT/CT and PET for small animal imaging and a small-bore MRI that can be used for clinical studies.
“My research involves the assessment and correlation of tissue microstructure and metabolism using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and /in vivo/ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Currently work in my lab involves the development of MR techniques and hardware for the evaluation of various cancers, and healthy human brain, skeletal muscle, and liver.”
Dr. Michael Noseworthy, Assistant Professor
RESEARCH AREAS
More than 50 faculty members are associated with the
School of Biomedical Engineering. These members also have appointments in the Faculties of Engineering, Health Sciences and Science. Additional faculty will be appointed to the School to provide, along with the existing faculty, the necessary resources for teaching and research. Our plans call for the creation of three endowed Chairs in the School.
Drawing on the formidable research productivity of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering, students enrolled in our graduate program will work and be trained as true interdisciplinarians within fi ve specialized research areas: Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering; Biomedical Imaging; Medical Robotics; Biomedical Technology and Bioprocessing.
FACILITIES
Research conducted through the School of Biomedical
Engineering utilizes many of the state of the art facilities available through various Centres and Institutions at McMaster. These include:
■ Antimicrobial Research Centre
■ Institute for Molecular Medicine and Health ■ Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology ■ Centre for Minimal Access Surgery
■ Brain-Body Institute
■ Henderson Research Centre ■ Juravinski Cancer Centre
■ Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research ■ Centre for Electrophotonic Materials & Devices ■ McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute ■ McMaster Institute for Applied Radiation Sciences ■ McMaster Institute for Polymer Production Technology
■ Medical Robotics
■ The Medical Robotics group is now recognized globally as the fi rst team that has experience in the clinical use of remote telepresence surgery. Future research will focus on developing the fi rst autonomous robotic platform designed specifi cally for telesurgery and to perform complex and targeted minimally invasive surgeries in remote, hostile and rural locations.
“The research in the Telerobotics, Haptics and Computational Vision Laboratory is concerned with fundamental control issues in telerobotics and haptics and their applications in medical robotics. Robotic-assisted surgery/telesurgery and haptic-enabled virtual reality simulation for surgical training are two primary application areas of interest.”
Dr. Shahin Sirouspour, Assistant Professor
■ Biomedical Technology
■ This fi eld groups together a number of activities encompassing medical instrumentation (including software aspects), medical devices (hearing and orthopaedics), biosensors, biophotonics, BIOMEMS. “My research focus is on optical spectroscopy and imaging techniques for biomedical applications. Specifi cally, current ongoing research projects include development of high throughput robotic microscopic imaging system for high content screening of cancer drug leads; endoscopic optical biopsy systems for screening of cancers in the GI track, non-invasive, intraopeartive detection of brain tumor margins; and micro- and nano-devices for imaging and sensing.”
Dr. Qiyin Fang, Assistant Professor
■ Bioprocessing
■ The School is also expanding its research efforts in the area of bioprocessing. Bioprocessing relates to the science and technology associated with the large scale production of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, food and other bioproducts. Activities include genetic engineering, and downstream processing operations such as separation and purifi cation.
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APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants to the School of Biomedical Engineering should review the BME website before commencing the application process. Detailed application instructions and deadlines can be found at http://
bme.mcmaster.ca/application.htm
GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
The School of Biomedical
Engineering guarantees a minimum scholarship for the fi rst year of graduate studies for all M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students enrolled in Biomedical Engineering. This guaranteed minimum scholarship may be comprised by a combination of sources such as internal and external scholarships, teaching or research assistantships and research funding. The minimum scholarship for the current year is $19,500 for M.A.Sc. students and $20,500 for Ph.D. students.
Visa students admitted in to our graduate programs will receive an additional bursary to offset the difference in cost between domestic and visa tuition fees.
Admission
Requirements
M . A . S c . D E G R E E A D M I S S I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S
■ 4 year degree or equivalent: B.Sc., B.Eng., or B.A.Sc. with B+ (77%) minimum average in the fi nal 2 years of study.
■ Additional undergraduate coursework may be required for
the Masters program on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Director and prospective Supervisor.
Course of Study—M.A.Sc The M.A.Sc. is a two year program. A candidate is required to successfully complete at least three one-term courses and present a thesis embodying an original contribution to the fi eld of biomedical engineering.
P h . D . D E G R E E A D M I S S I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S
■ Candidates require a minimum B+ (77%) average during the course of their previous graduate work
■ Additional undergraduate coursework may be required for the Ph.D. program on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Director and prospective Supervisor
Course of Study—Ph.D. The Ph.D. is a four year program. A candidate is required to successfully complete at least six one-term courses beyond the baccalaureate degree or three half courses beyond the Master’s degree. Candidates are also required to pass the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination, which is designed to test the breadth of knowledge and ability to synthesize and integrate ideas from within and peripheral to the candidate’s research area. The candidate must present a thesis embodying an original contribution to the fi eld of biomedical engineering. A supervisory committee determines when a candidate is ready to write the thesis and ascertains whether the quality is satisfactory. The candidate must defend the thesis at a fi nal oral examination.
McMaster University, a world-renowned, research-intensive university, fosters a culture of innovation, and a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and scholarship. Based in Hamilton, the University, one of only four Canadian universities to be listed on the Top 100 universities in the world, has a student population of more than 23,000, and an alumni population of more than 125,000 in 125 countries. McMaster Facts:
■ Established in 1887
■ 23,000+ undergraduate and graduate students ■ 1,000+ full-time faculty
■ 6 faculties – business, engineering, health sciences, humanities, science, social science
■ 140 undergraduate degree programs ■ Students and faculty from 70+ countries ■ 40+ international exchange agreements ■ Top 10 best places to work in academia
■ 14.8 hectare (37 acre) McMaster Innovation Park in development.
Research is central to graduate work,
and McMaster’s strong research
orientation has a pronounced effect on
the character of its graduate programs.
McMaster
University
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Supporting the Faculty of Engineering’s expansion into emerging areas of research and study is the construction of a state-of-the-art engineering building, slated to be ready for the 2009/2010 academic year. The fi ve-storey, 125,000 square-foot facility will provide much needed space for the School of Biomedical Engineering and will house research facilities, graduate student and faculty offi ces.
New building
for Engineering
Research and Education
CONTACT
School of Biomedical Engineering McMaster University
1280 Main St. West
Communications Research Lab (CRL) 230 Hamilton, ON Canada L8S 4K1
http://bme.mcmaster.ca
Dr. J. L. Brash, Ph.D., P. Eng.
Director, School of Biomedical Engineering McMaster University
Laura Kobayashi, M.Sc.
Administrator, School of Biomedical Engineering
905-525-9140 ext. 23486 [email protected]
