Skip to main content
Professor Rob McLeod shows a student a diagram on their computer. Rob is in ab lac tshirt and the student is in a red shirt and black scarf

Scientific Computing

Professor Rob MacLeod and his group use both computational and experimental approaches to understand the electrical activity of the heart and brain. Specific topics include cardiac ischemia and heart attacks, heart rhythm disorders, cardiac defibrillation, and modulation of brain activity with electrical and magnetic stimulation.   Visit Prof. MacLeod's page.

Scientific Computing

Professor Rob MacLeod and his group use both computational and experimental approaches to understand the electrical activity of the heart and brain. Specific topics include cardiac ischemia and heart attacks, heart rhythm disorders, cardiac defibrillation, and modulation of brain activity with electrical and magnetic stimulation.   Visit Prof. MacLeod's page.

Synthesis of Biomaterials

The Kramer lab synthesizes new biomaterials toward tissue models of cancer and infection   Visit Prof. Kramer's page.

Synthesis of Biomaterials

The Kramer lab synthesizes new biomaterials toward tissue models of cancer and infection   Visit Prof. Kramer's page.

Computational Anatomy

Professor Sarang Joshi focuses on development of specialized mathematical and computational tools for the precise study of anatomical variability and the application of these tools for improved medical treatment, diagnosis, and understanding of disease.  Visit Prof. Joshi’s page.

Computational Anatomy

Professor Sarang Joshi focuses on development of specialized mathematical and computational tools for the precise study of anatomical variability and the application of these tools for improved medical treatment, diagnosis, and understanding of disease.  Visit Prof. Joshi’s page.

Specialized Imaging for Preclinical and Veterinary Research

Professor Ed Hsu’s lab is working on developing advanced noninvasive imaging techniques including high-resolution CT and MRI for visualizing, quantifying and modeling the anatomy and structure-function relationships of the body and applying them toward preclinical and veterinary research.   Visit Prof. Hsu's page.

Specialized Imaging for Preclinical and Veterinary Research

Professor Ed Hsu’s lab is working on developing advanced noninvasive imaging techniques including high-resolution CT and MRI for visualizing, quantifying and modeling the anatomy and structure-function relationships of the body and applying them toward preclinical and veterinary research.   Visit Prof. Hsu's page.

Beyond Excellence

Professor and Department Chair Dave Grainger's research group seeks to improve performance of implanted medical devices using on-board local drug-release technologies including antimicrobial approaches, living cells and matrix-derived biomaterials to modulate the tissue-implant interface.   Visit Prof. Grainger's group.

Beyond Excellence

Professor and Department Chair Dave Grainger's research group seeks to improve performance of implanted medical devices using on-board local drug-release technologies including antimicrobial approaches, living cells and matrix-derived biomaterials to modulate the tissue-implant interface.   Visit Prof. Grainger's group.

Tissue Engineering

Professor Robby D. Bowles’ lab is developing therapeutic strategies to treat patients suffering from back pain. They use a combination of tissue engineering, gene delivery, and immunomodulation to alter disease progression, which affects both the function of the spine and pain felt by the patient.   Visit Prof. Bowles’ page.

Tissue Engineering

Professor Robby D. Bowles’ lab is developing therapeutic strategies to treat patients suffering from back pain. They use a combination of tissue engineering, gene delivery, and immunomodulation to alter disease progression, which affects both the function of the spine and pain felt by the patient.   Visit Prof. Bowles’ page.
Professor Jeff Weiss poses with a table of equipment he uses in his research

Biomechanics

Professor Jeff Weiss' laboratory focuses on developing and applying experimental and computational methods, primarily in the area of biomechanics, to address research questions in musculoskeletal science and cardiovascular mechanics.   Visit Prof. Weiss’ page.

Biomechanics

Professor Jeff Weiss' laboratory focuses on developing and applying experimental and computational methods, primarily in the area of biomechanics, to address research questions in musculoskeletal science and cardiovascular mechanics.   Visit Prof. Weiss’ page.

The Future of Drug Delivery

Internationally recognized researcher, Professor Hamid Ghandehari, leads a team on the cutting edge in the development of novel approaches for gene delivery, water-soluble polymers for targeted therapy and nanoconstructs for controlled chemical delivery.   Visit Prof. Ghandehari’s group.

The Future of Drug Delivery

Internationally recognized researcher, Professor Hamid Ghandehari, leads a team on the cutting edge in the development of novel approaches for gene delivery, water-soluble polymers for targeted therapy and nanoconstructs for controlled chemical delivery.   Visit Prof. Ghandehari’s group.

Biomaterials

Professor Michael Yu’s research group pioneered a new peptide-based collagen targeting strategy which is being developed into new biotechnology in disease detection, tissue engineering and targeted therapy.   Visit Prof. Yu’s page.

Biomaterials

Professor Michael Yu’s research group pioneered a new peptide-based collagen targeting strategy which is being developed into new biotechnology in disease detection, tissue engineering and targeted therapy.   Visit Prof. Yu’s page.

Engineering New Therapeutic Approaches

Professor Henry Kopecek is internationally recognized as one of the true pioneers in drug delivery, developing biomimetic macromolecules as targetable delivery systems for anticancer and antiinflammatory therapies, and new biomaterials.   Visit Prof. Kopecek's group.

Engineering New Therapeutic Approaches

Professor Henry Kopecek is internationally recognized as one of the true pioneers in drug delivery, developing biomimetic macromolecules as targetable delivery systems for anticancer and antiinflammatory therapies, and new biomaterials.   Visit Prof. Kopecek's group.

Improving Biocompatibility

Professor Patrick Tresco's lab is developing biologically informed approaches to reduce persistent inflammation and the foreign body response surrounding basic science tools and biomedical devices chronically implanted in the CNS.   Visit Dr. Tresco's page.

Improving Biocompatibility

Professor Patrick Tresco's lab is developing biologically informed approaches to reduce persistent inflammation and the foreign body response surrounding basic science tools and biomedical devices chronically implanted in the CNS.   Visit Dr. Tresco's page.
Professor Chuck Dorval poses with a computer chip. He is sitting at a desk wearing a blue button down shirt

Neuromodulatory Therapies

Professor Alan "Chuck" Dorval’s team aims to improve existing neuromodulatory therapies and devise novel neural interventions using electrophysiological recordings, computational neuroscience, and neuronal information theory.   Visit Prof. Dorval’s page.

Neuromodulatory Therapies

Professor Alan "Chuck" Dorval’s team aims to improve existing neuromodulatory therapies and devise novel neural interventions using electrophysiological recordings, computational neuroscience, and neuronal information theory.   Visit Prof. Dorval’s page.
Professor Richard Rabbit works a circuit boar. He has curly hair that reaches his ears. A white lab coat over an orange button down

Hallpike-Nylén Prize Winner

Professor Rick Rabbitt is internationally recognized for his work on the neurophysiology of the inner ear vestibular organs and is developing new technologies to measure the biophysical properties of excitable membrane proteins and exo-endocytosis in cardiac myocytes and inner-ear hair cells.   Visit Prof. Rabbitt's page.

Hallpike-Nylén Prize Winner

Professor Rick Rabbitt is internationally recognized for his work on the neurophysiology of the inner ear vestibular organs and is developing new technologies to measure the biophysical properties of excitable membrane proteins and exo-endocytosis in cardiac myocytes and inner-ear hair cells.   Visit Prof. Rabbitt's page.

Ultrasonic Bioinstrumentation

Graduate students in Distinguished Professor Doug Christensen's lab design and test new ultrasonic bioinstrumentation.   Visit Prof. Christensen's page.

Ultrasonic Bioinstrumentation

Graduate students in Distinguished Professor Doug Christensen's lab design and test new ultrasonic bioinstrumentation.   Visit Prof. Christensen's page.
Slide background

Neurotechnologies for Rehabilitation

Graduate students in Dr. Dalrymple's lab work on understanding sensorimotor systems and neural mechanisms of disease, and the application of that knowledge to develop and innovate neurotechnologies that restore function after neural injury.  Visit Dr. Ashley Dalrymple's page.

Ultrasonic Bioinstrumentation

Graduate students in Distinguished Professor Doug Christensen's lab design and test new ultrasonic bioinstrumentation.   Visit Prof. Christensen's page.
Slide background

Deconvoluting Human Complexity and Improving Human Health

Dr. Alphonsus Ng co-directs the DigiPharma Laboratory where their research focuses on developing micro-nanotechnologies and computational methods to extract information from biospecimens that are not typically obtainable using conventional methods.   Visit Prof. Ng's page.

Proteins - Polymers - Interfaces

Work in Professor Vladimir Hlady’s Proteins - Polymers - Interfaces Group (PPIG) focuses on proteins and other macromolecules at biomaterial-host tissue interfaces. Their main approach is to observe interfacial events involving few molecules at short length and time scales. The PPIG laboratory utilizes various experimental techniques such as AFM, RICM and FCS.   Visit Prof. Hlady's page.
Slide background

Orthopaedic Biomechanics

In collaboration with engineers, orthopaedic surgeons, computer scientists and physical therapists, those in Dr. Lenz's lab apply mechanical engineering principles to primarily study in vivo kinematics using bi-plane fluoroscopy, and computationally assess morphology using statistical shape modeling.  Visit Dr. Amy Lenz's page.

Ultrasonic Bioinstrumentation

Graduate students in Distinguished Professor Doug Christensen's lab design and test new ultrasonic bioinstrumentation.   Visit Prof. Christensen's page.

A Closely Knit Community

Nestled into the Wasatch Mountain range, the Department’s new home (foreground) is located next to the University Hospital & School of Medicine (upper left) – providing a clinically immersive educational experience that is unique among BME training programs.   Visit the Center for Medical Innovation.

A Closely Knit Community

Nestled into the Wasatch Mountain range, the Department’s new home (foreground) is located next to the University Hospital & School of Medicine (upper left) – providing a clinically immersive educational experience that is unique among BME training programs. Visit the Center for Medical Innovation.

Research

A rich interdisciplinary department comprising science, engineering and medicine. We develop technologies in synthetic biology, medical imaging, biomaterials, biomechanics, drug delivery, neural engineering, computational biomedical engineering, tissue engineering and other specialty areas.

Undergraduate

The University of Utah Biomedical Engineering Department Undergraduate Program has 25 primary faculty, 200 auxiliary faculty, and graduates about 70 Bachelor of Science students annually. The program is among few undergraduate programs in the nation that require a senior project and a biomedical device design experience with significant exposure to the regulatory environment.

Graduate

The University of Utah Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program draws participating faculty from over 30 departments and organizations across 4 colleges, representing both the health sciences and the main campus.  Full-time graduate student enrollment exceeds 120 with about a 3:1 ratio of Ph.D. to M.S. students.

Positions Open

Department Chair for Biomedical Engineering

The Department seeks a leader who will guide faculty hiring to improve student learning, grow enrollment, and advance strategic research and educational initiatives.  The anticipated start date is July 1, 2025.

Position Posting

Assistant/Associate Professor (Lecturer) for The Department of Biomedical Engineering

Career-line faculty position in the area of Regulatory Affairs, Medical Device Design and Regulatory Science. The anticipated start date is August 1, 2025. This position is anticipated to be filled at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor (Lecturer).

Position Posting

Recent News from the Department of Biomedical Engineering

Our students and faculty are constantly doing amazing things. Read about the latest in student successes, faculty research, and more.  Click here to view the entire news archive or scroll through the latest news stories below!

Map depicting the Sorenson Molecular Biology Building on the University of Utah campus

36 S. Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112