Event Recap: 9th Engineering in Medicine Symposium
In collaboration with its annual PhD Interview weekend, the Biomedical Engineering Department hosted its 9th Annual Engineering in Medicine Symposium.
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, in collaboration with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, hosted the 9th Annual Engineering in Medicine Symposium on Thursday, February 13. This annual symposium, organized by the Columbia Biomedical Engineering Department, serves as a platform to highlight cutting-edge research at the intersection of engineering and medicine.
The opening remarks were delivered by Paul Sajda, Chair of Biomedical Engineering, who emphasized the pivotal role this symposium plays in showcasing the deep collaboration between Columbia Engineering and the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). He noted that the department, officially formed in 2000, is constantly growing to become more diverse and interdisciplinary, enabling it to address critical issues in healthcare through engineering innovation.
Vice Dean for Research at Columbia Engineering, George Deodatis, also welcomed attendees, highlighting the symposium as a showcase of the most exciting research efforts at the School of Engineering and CUIMC. He emphasized the strength of the collaboration between the two institutions, which has led to major research grants, including a $41 million ARPA-H grant to develop wireless bioelectronic devices to combat obesity and diabetes, and one to build a knee from biomaterials and human stem cells. Deodatis also hinted at upcoming initiatives in women's health and the creation of a life sciences hub in Manhattan, leaving the audience with the sentiment that it is an "exciting time to be at Columbia”.
Finally, Ajay Gupta, Chair of Radiology at CUIMC, echoed these sentiments, underscoring the importance of innovation and collaboration in reshaping patient care. As a physician, he stressed the role of empathy in addressing healthcare challenges and reaffirmed the strong partnerships between medicine and engineering at Columbia. Grace McIlvain, Symposium Chair, closed out the opening, echoing these remarks and the exciting research community at Columbia.
This year’s symposium featured four sessions, each chaired by Columbia’s senior faculty members in each research area: AI and Imaging, chaired by Professor Elisa Konofagou, Cell and Tissue Engineering chaired by Professor Lance Kam, Orthopedics and Biomechanics, chaired by Professor Nadine Chahine, and Genomics, chaired by Professor Helen Lu. See the symposium program for a full list of speakers and topics here!
This excitement-filled day concluded with a poster session where attendees explored a wide range of innovative research projects.
Special thanks go to all the speakers, session chairs, the planning committee, and volunteers for making the 9th Annual Engineering in Medicine Symposium a resounding success. We look forward to seeing even more groundbreaking research at next year's event!
Session 2, Cell and Tissue Engineering, speakers answer audience questions following the conclusion of the session.
Students discuss ongoing research during the event's poster session.