Cardiovascular Engineering Graduate Track

Cardiovascular engineering is a discipline which covers a wide range of topics related to function of the cardiovascular system, mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases, and their treatment. Cardiovascular engineering includes basic science and translational to clinical use and spans the spectrum from the molecular scale to the complete body. Research in cardiovascular engineering addresses some of the most basic questions of how cells, organs, and the body function. The research also seeks to develop diagnostic approaches, interventions, and biomedical devices that have profound impact on treatment of patients with cardiac diseases. Despite dramatic improvements in clinical diagnosis and care, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading causes of death in developed countries. Research in cardiovascular engineering makes use of the most advanced technologies in areas such as molecular and cellular biology, bioinstrumentation, imaging across many modalities, signal and image processing, machine learning, mathematical simulation and modeling, and all aspects of computer technology.

As a result of this diversity of biomedical and technical research, students with graduate training in cardiovascular engineering receive a broad education in physiology, cardiac diseases and biomedical technology. The graduates will be extremely well equipped for careers in academia and industry. The program makes use of background courses from several departments as well as specialized training in the discipline through both courses and extensive laboratory experiences. Because of the outstanding research emphasis on cardiovascular engineering at Utah, there also exist rich opportunities for interaction with a wide range of experts in the field as well as involvement in interdisciplinary projects within teams of related researchers and students.

M.S. students in the Cardiovascular Engineering Track must successfully complete the course requirements outlined in the Handbook, as well as the total course credit hour requirement of the M.S. degree program.

Ph.D. students in the Cardiovascular Engineering track are expected to have general knowledge in physiology and biophysics of cells, tissues and whole hearts, and one field of special application. For example, a student who applies computational methods to problems in cardiac electrophysiology should have knowledge in computation and electrophysiology. The material for the qualifying exam will be based on topics covered in three required courses: BME 6000, BME 6003, and BME 6460. There will be a strong emphasis on the integration of physiology across scales, explaining, for example, features of the body-surface ECG from cellular and tissue level behavior of the heart.

The course selection that will be appropriate for each student in the Cardiovascular Engineering track will vary and depend highly on the specific research project in which the student participates. It will be especially important to choose courses that provide both the scientific background and the technical skills required to carry out this research. The Program of Study is a list created by the student and the supervisory committee that contains all courses to be completed by the student as part of the requirements for the Ph.D. The Program of Study requires formal approval by the student’s advisor, Dissertation Supervisory Committee, and Director of Graduate Studies.

For more detailed information, please review the BME Graduate Resources page and select the Graduate Handbook that correlates to the year you started your program.

Questions regarding the Cardiovascular Engineering track should be directed to Dr. Rob MacLeod.