Research in Action: - University of Calgary

Every good university knows how to play to its strengths. And in its relatively young life, the University of
Calgary has emerged as a leader in biomedical technologies, including everything from surgical robots to
high-tech running shoes. There was only one catch: engineering students had to wait until graduate school
to dig into the subject. Four years ago, that all changed when the Schulich School of Engineering admitted
its first crop of students into a unique undergraduate biomedical engineering program. Taught by instructors
from engineering, science, kinesiology and medicine, this innovative program features a multidisciplinary
curriculum, including anatomy, biology and engineering. Practicums and a senior research project round out
the coursework.
14 UofC Research in Action
Emerging researchers
Doing such meaningful work appealed to Tessa Richardson, one of the program’s first graduates. “I entered
the (engineering) program with the intention of eventually finding a job that would help people,” she says.
“Biomedical engineering seemed to be the perfect fit.” Her research project with Dr. Janet Ronsky looked at a
problem of diagnostics: radiation. She examined the case of children with a chest deformity who require
ongoing CAT scans for evaluation. Richardson developed another, less harmful, method. She surrounded a patient
with four cameras and used light projections to capture a 3D shape of the sternum, then used a computer
method to analyze the findings. “I further analyzed my results to show that the optical imaging system was able
to evaluate pectus deformities as effectively as the traditional CT scan method.”
Beyond oil and gas
For Kogan Lee, 21, the biomedical option was a way to expand his engineering horizons. “Initially when I first
applied to engineering I thought everything would be oil and gas related, but throughout my undergrad I realized
engineers have contributed greatly to health care by designing medical devices.” For his research, Lee worked
with Dr. Clifton Johnston and studied stents, the small wire-meshed tubes that prop open diseased blood
vessels. They are used mainly to treat aneurysms. How the blood flows in and around the stent determines
if tissue stays healthy.
Engineering professor Dr. Kristina Rinker, who oversees the students’ research projects, says entry into the
new degree program is competitive. Students must complete their first year of engineering studies, then
compete for one of the 35 spots in biomedical engineering. Most have top marks, and they are drawn by the
prospect of rewarding work that combines engineering and medicine. “These undergraduate students take on
ambitious projects that can lead to advances in human health,” she says.
The first alumni of an innovative
program for undergraduates
are ready to take on the world.