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Graduate Training Programs BiRM

What is BiRM?

The goal of this training program is to provide a solid foundation upon which to build a productive and independent career in Biomechanis in Regenerative Medicine (BiRM). This goal is accomplished via a highly coordinated and mentored interdisciplinary training program with a combination of required and elective courses, research activities, and specialized training opportunities. The proposed Training Program incorporates faculty from the Departments of Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Orthopedic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Urology, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine of the University of Pittsburgh, as well as faculty from the Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Departments of Carnegie Mellon University. This combination of training faculty research interests and coursework will provide a rich educational experience and more numerous training opportunities for the students than could be obtained within the individual university departments. Moreover, the breadth of research areas that span various physiological systems (cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal, urological) allows for a unique opportunity to train students to become highly skilled problem solvers while avoiding over specialization. Since the BiRM training program is not central to any one department, its structure permits the student a much wider choice of options with which to pursue a PhD in tissue bioengineering and regeneration. In the current departmental focus of graduate education, a PhD student in one department that wishes to perform thesis research in a laboratory in another department finds many departmental based administrative roadblocks in his/her path. The BiRM program eliminates these roadblocks and permits ever increasing educational options for the students and research collaborations. Coursework includes intensive life science and biomechanics is utilized to provide the students with a thorough grounding in both areas. Skills acquired in these courses are combined in later courses and the trainees' research.

Current Participating Faculty

Dr. Michael Sacks, PI
Drs. David Vorp and Savio Woo, Co-PIs

  • Antaki, James
  • Badylak, Stephen
  • Borovetz, Harvey
  • Brienza, David
  • Cham, Rakié
  • Debski, Richard
  • DiMartino, Elena
  • Earls, Christopher
  • Gerlach, Joerg
  • Abramovitz, Steve
  • Gilbertson, Lars
  • Hollinger, Jeffrey
  • LeDuc, Philip
  • Li, Zong-Ming
  • Lin, Hai
  • Liao, Jun
  • Davidson, Lance
  • Robertson, Anne
  • Roy, Partha
  • Shroff, Sanjeev
  • Slaughter, William
  • Stetten, George
  • Wagner, William

Current Trainees

  • Didier, Jonathan E.
  • Eckert, Chad
  • Fisher, Matthew
  • Ruder, Warren

Proposed Five Year Doctoral Program for Trainees

Year Fall Spring Summer
1
  • Biocontinuum mechanics (ME 2003)
  • Practical statistics and experimental design (BIOE 2810)
  • Scientific Ethics (INTBP 2290)
  • Molecular and Cell Biophysics I (BIOE 2520)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Organ/Tissue/Cell biomechanics (BIOE 2064)
  • Advanced topics in imaging (BIOE 2820)
  • Foundations in Bioengineering (BIOE 2825)
  • Molecular and Cell Biophysics II (BIOE 2521)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Ph.D. Qualifying exam
  • Cell/Molecular Biology Lab Rotation I
2
  • Musculo-skeletal Biomechanics (BIOE 2065)
  • Molecular mechanisms of Growth (MSCMP 2730)
  • Non-newtonian Fluids (ME 3081)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Cell Biomechanics (CMU BME 42502)
  • Angiogenesis (MSCMP 2270)
  • Biomaterials and Biocompatibility (BIOE 2810)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Cell/Molecular Biology Lab Rotation
3
  • Functional Tissue Engineering (BIOE 2072)
  • Stem Cells (MSCMP 3740)
  • Advanced Biomaterials (BIOE 2075)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Vascular Biomechanics (BIOE 3025)
  • Bone Regeneration (CMU BME 42-501)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Research
  • Thesis proposal defense
4
  • Research
  • Teaching Practicum
  • Graduate Course (optional)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Research
  • Graduate Course (optional)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
Research
5
  • Research
  • Graduate Course (optional)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
  • Research
  • Graduate Course (optional)
  • Weekly Research Seminar
Research & Final Defense

Department of Bioengineering

Welcome to the Department of Bioengineering

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