Students on the University of Calgary's International Genetically Modified Machines (iGEM) team were chosen to compete at the World Jamboree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

They’re the next generation of experts who will develop new medical devices, imaging techniques, drugs and other treatments for various diseases and degenerative conditions.

Biomedical engineering students who are preparing to graduate present their fourth-year thesis projects today at the 4th Annual Biomedical Engineering Projects Day hosted by the Centre for Bioengineering Research and Education (CBRE).

Faster development and testing of new medical devices and technologies that improve healthcare services are becoming a reality through a state-of-the-art medical ward at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.

A combined federal-provincial investment of more than $1.9 million under the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA) is supporting the Ward of the 21st Century (W21C) to staff and purchase lab equipment. Ultimately, this project will allow small- and medium-sized firms to cost-effectively demonstrate new healthcare solutions and applications in a real healthcare setting.

Project Next is a university-wide strategic planning initiative, which with your input, will create a clear and shared vision for the future of the University of Calgary. Learn more by visiting the Project Next website, and sign up for one or more Project Next workshops scheduled from January 21 to February 28.

Everyone loses bone strength as they get older, but the structural changes at work appear to differ between men and women, according to studies published in the journals Bone and the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Agnes Soos is fascinated by the way blood moves through the vessels of the human body. The third-year student at the Schulich School of Engineering is studying chemical engineering with a biomedical specialization. As part of the Undergraduate Research Students Program (USRP) in health and wellness, Soos is doing research work and collaborating with leading faculty members who have similar research interests.

Kitty Choy, a master’s student in biomedical engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, is studying the complicated mechanics of the spine. Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic lower back pain due to spinal injuries. It is estimated that 80 percent of adults will experience lower back pain as a result of disc degeneration.

The University of Calgary’s iGEM team was on a plane back to Alberta as the final results were being announced at the International Genetically Engineered Competition held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. They arrived in Calgary to a shiny result—the team won a gold medal.

Thor Bjarnason, a PhD student in biomedical engineering in the Faculty of Medicine, has won two awards for his research on non-invasive ways to look at myelin degeneration—a condition caused by diseases like multiple sclerosis.

A team of undergraduate students from the University of Calgary is heading to Boston this fall.
The 15-member team will compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machines (I-GEM) event at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The competition involves an emerging new field of synthetic biology.

An innovative grant from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Institute (NSERC) will provide the University of Calgary with $1.6 million over the next six years, providing a platform that could help create the next generation of biomedical engineers.The NSERC CREATE grant for 21st Century Engineers will provide the University of Calgary with $150,000 this year and $300,000 over each of the following five years.

A fascination with biomechanics comes naturally to an active person such as Karen Ho. The biomedical engineering master’s student enjoys a range of sports and is currently training for a half-marathon. Ho’s research at the Schulich School of Engineering reflects her personal interests, too. She’s investigating medical imaging, with a focus on measuring joint mechanics in the knee.