About Biomedical Engineering
What is biomedical engineering?
Biomedical engineering (BME) uses engineering tools and approaches to advance knowledge and solve problems in animal and human biology, medicine and health care. Biomedical engineering makes important differences every day by extending lives, ensuring the safety of our food and water supplies, promoting independence, and improving quality of life for people and animals around the world.
We are educating the next generation of leaders for the bio-economy with our multidisciplinary training programs that involve over 340 scholars and six faculties, working in multidisciplinary teams at more than 40 unique, state-of-the-art facilities across campus. This includes a direct-admit graduate program and an undergraduate specialization in biomedical engineering.
We are building on our vibrant training and research environment and rich history of collaboration that stimulates discovery and fosters technological innovations in health, providing an engineering approach to improve quality of life.
Traditional roles
Biomedical engineers help advance our future through impactful research that drives meaningful discoveries to better our quality of life. In the traditional sense, graduates of biomedical engineering have progressed in career roles including stem cell research, pharmaceutical, biomaterials, biomedical devices design and food engineering.
Today's transdisiplinary roles
Biomedical engineering is a growing transdisciplinary field whereby applications of research, biology, and medicine are used to improve both human and animal life. As this scientific field continues to grow, graduates can look forward to a diverse range of career opportunities in areas such as bioinformatics, biomaterials, cellular and tissue engineering, genomics, and biomedical imaging.
Leading UCalgary's biomedical engineering community
Researchers and trainees from multiple faculties participate in activities with our department, and we are engaged with the health care system, industry, the wider research community and beyond. We form collaborative teams focused on research in human mobility, health monitoring, advanced biomedical imaging, precision biodiagnostics, regenerative medicine and novel medical technologies to transform quality of life and continuously improve the health system.
Historical timeline
June 1, 1996
Dr. Nigel Shrive is appointed as the BME Graduate Program Director until June 2006
Aug. 1, 1997
Funding from Whitaker Foundation to start multi-faculty BME Graduate Program
Dec. 12, 1997
Multi-faculty BME Graduate Program approved by University of Calgary Board of Governors
Jan. 8, 2002
BME CFI (Shrive-led) Integrating Research in Osteoarthritis: From the Bedside to the Bench and back Again
Aug. 1, 2003
Dr. Janet Ronsky and Dr. Josh Leon are appointed as Co-Directors of CBRE until August 2005
Nov. 27, 2003
CBRE Established and Launch of BMES Undergrad Program
Sept. 1, 2005
Dr. Janet Ronsky is appointed as Director of CBRE until June 2009
July 1, 2006
Dr. Michael Kallos is appointed as the BME Graduate Program Director until June 2017
July 1, 2009
Dr. Ed Vigmond is appointed as Director of CBRE until September 2011
Sept. 1, 2009
BME NSERC CREATE (Herzog-led) Biomedical Engineers for the 21st Century
Oct. 1, 2011
Dr. Anders Nygren and Dr. Janet Ronsky are appointed as Co-Directors of CBRE until June 2014
June 1, 2012
University of Calgary Strategic Research Plan, BME as 1 of 6 priority areas
Nov. 20, 2012
BME CFI (Boyd-led) Integrative Approach for Translating Research to Improve Muskuloskeletal Health
July 1, 2014
Dr. Tina Rinker is appointed as Director of CBRE until August 2017
March 2, 2015
Engineering Solutions for Health: BME Strategy Launch:
VPR $1M
1st BME Industry Day
April 1, 2016
BME Research Coordinator
VPR Proposals Funded
2nd BME Industry Day
July 1, 2017
Dr. John Bertram is appointed as the BME Graduate Program Director (current)
Sept. 1, 2017
Dr. Arin Sen is appointed as Director of CBRE until October 31, 2018
Nov. 27, 2017
First Innovation4Health (i4h) Health Hackathon
Sept. 1, 2018
NSERC We-TRAC CREATE (Ferber-led) Wearables training program
Nov. 1, 2018
Dr. Elena di Martino is appointed as Director of CBRE until June 30, 2021
July 1, 2021
Dr. Michael Kallos is appointed as Director of CBRE until December 31, 2021
Sept. 1, 2021
BSc with major in BME launched
Oct. 22, 2021
BME Department approved
Jan. 1, 2022
Dr. Michael Kallos is appointed as Interim Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Jan. 3, 2022
BME Department launched
July 1, 2022
Dr. Michael Kallos is appointed as Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering, for a five-year term