Research in Action: - University of Calgary

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$LATEX for Philosophers - University of Calgary$

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.
“The goal of my research is to develop an apparatus that can test for certain physical properties of heart stents, so that they can help keep surrounding tissue healthier. Only at U of C could I have gotten this type of multi-disciplinary education, which will be a great help to my future career,” says Kogan Lee. The Students 15
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Page 3 and 4: Biomedical Engineering A partnershi
Page 5 and 6: Dr. Naweed Syed’s “brain on a c
Page 7 and 8: Dr. Garnette Sutherland was the fir
Page 9 and 10: Dr. Michael Colicos is using bio-co
Page 11 and 12: Medical Imaging Using tissue sensin
Page 13 and 14: Dr. Brad Goodyear is using MRI tech
Page 15: Dr. Kristina Rinker is developing m
Page 19 and 20: Graduate students Jana McMillan and
Page 21 and 22: Dr. Howard Ceri is using technology
Page 23 and 24: One element of Dr. Cy Frank’s res
Page 25 and 26: Dr. Janet Ronsky’s Eagle Brace is
Page 27 and 28: Unlike most people who remove tissu
Page 29 and 30: Dr. Andrea Clark is studying why th
Page 31 and 32: Dr. Nigel Shrive is sorting out whe
Page 33 and 34: Dr. John Matyas uses, among other t
Page 35 and 36: Southern Alberta Cancer Research In

Research in Action: - University of Calgary

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