Course Listing and Descriptions

The course will present the general physical principles underlying resolution and contrast in two-dimensional and three dimensional bioimaging techniques. The course will focus on current key areas of imaging and their applications in biology and medicine. These include optical imaging, MRI, Ultrasound, CT and ultra-high-resolution microscopic methods. The course presentation will be comprised of lecture material, representative problems, and paper discussions. The students will be evaluated though team projects/presentations, and quizzes.

Application of basic signal analysis to biological signals and the analysis of medical image. Extensive use of the MATLAB language in example and problems. 

Application of control theory to the analysis of biological systems. As foundation for other biomedical engineering courses, topics include (biocontrol) control systems principles, Nyguist and root locus stability analysis; (modeling) Nernst membrane model, action potential, cardiovascular mechanics, circulatory dynamics, pulmonary mechanics, accommodation, vergence eye movements, and saccades; and (computation) numerical solutions to differential equations, computer methods using Matlab and Simulink. 

Intended for those seeking familiarity with the effects of, and tools to deal with, fluid, multiphase, chemical, and thermal transport and kinetics problems in biological systems.

The objective of the course is to understand the principles that underlay complex, graduate level problems in continuum mechanics, with an emphasis on material that can be applied to graduate level problems in biomechanics. 

Mathematical tools and computational skills necessary to model and solve problems in the core BME graduate curriculum.

This course will provide both life science and engineering students with a strong foundation in statistical approaches to data analysis and will be specifically tailored to the molecular, cellular, and tissue biotechnology and bioengineering data relevant to their thesis projects. Two particularly important components of the course involve the training of students on how to: 1) critically assess and interpret published scientific data, and 2) enhance and optimize experimental rigor and reproducibility. 

This advanced physiology course is organized around integrative issues, i.e., focus is on the physiological parameter to be controlled and to show how the different systems (nervous, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal) contribute to homeostatis of a particular parameter.

This course is designed to present basic information as well as the most recent developments in key areas of cell biology. The course consists of lectures based primarily on textbook readings and discussions that delve more deeply into lecture material and discuss primary literature. Both formats will expose students to current experimental approaches in cell biology with an emphasis on quantitative methods and analysis. Students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge of course material by participation in discussions, in presentations, and by examination.

Each Fall semester all students are expected to attend the Seminar Series. First year students are required to take this course which coincides with the Seminar Series in BME. Every other week, students will have a discussion about ethics in engineering and medicine. On the alternating weeks, students will hear speakers from within and outside the Rutgers/RWJ community present their research results. 

Each Spring semester all students are expected to attend the Seminar Series. Every other week, students will learn how to successfully write a “white paper” on subjects in BME. On the alternating weeks, students will hear speakers from within and outside the Rutgers/RWJ community present their research results.

During the second year of studies, all Ph.D. candidates will take two one-credit courses over the span of the year. These courses cover basic concepts in teaching and learning. Students will be exposed to different styles of learning and teaching methods and their application to Biomedical Engineering. Students will be expected to apply the principles to laboratories and lectures in the undergraduate program.

Students are introduced to clinical aspects of biomedical engineering by attending regular grand rounds given by clinical specialists from medical schools and hospitals. Selected demonstrations of clinical procedures with applications of modern technology are also arranged. 16:115:556 Ethical Scientific Conduct (1) Introduction to ethical issues of scientific investigation, including intellectual property, plagiarism, conflict of interest, human and animal subjects, record keeping, etc. Intended for Ph.D. candidates in the biomedical sciences.

This course presents basic concepts concerning structure and properties of materials used to replace soft and hard biological tissues. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the physical properties of the tissue to be replaced through development of structure-property relationships. Properties to be discussed include phase transitions, mechanical and hydrodynamic properties. A brief introduction will be given to processes used to form biomaterials as well as biocompatibility criteria for skin, tendon, bone, cardiovascular and other applications.

This course details the development of medical devices that employ primarily polymeric materials in their construction. Course work will include concepts involving materials selection, feasibility studies, prototype fabrication, functionality testing, prototype final selection, biocompatibility considerations, efficacy testing, sterilization validation, FDA regulatory approaches, writing of IDE, 510(k) and PMAs, device production and record keeping. Examples used include materials for cardiovascular stents and for non-invasive measurements of tissue mechanical properties. 

This course is intended to introduce senior undergraduate-level BME students to tools and applications of chaos and pattern formation in biological systems. 

Laboratory-based course. Quantitative and hands-on microscopy course with emphasis on the theory of image formation, mechanisms of optical contrast generation, and engineering design of state-of-the-art microscopic instrumentation. 

This course focuses on computer-based techniques, systems, and applications exploiting quantitative information from medical images and sensors to assist clinicians in all phases of treatment, from diagnosis to preoperative planning, execution, and follow-up. It emphasizes the relationship between problem definition, computer-based technology, and clinical application. 

This course will provide students insight into the practical aspects of medical device applications and introduce business concepts as they relate to medical devices from a realistic industrial perspective. 

The goal of this course is to offer students insight into the practical aspects of industrial bioprocessing. Industrial practitioners from various fields of expertise provide lectures and facilitate discussions highlighting problems and issues that engineers and scientists encounter. This course provides students with exposure to topics which are beyond the scope of a purely theoretically-structured course. After taking this course, students should have a better understanding of the challenges that engineers and scientists face in industrial bioprocessing. 

This course will provide both life science and engineering students with a strong foundation in statistical approaches to data analysis and will be specifically tailored to the molecular, cellular, and tissue biotechnology and bioengineering data relevant to their thesis projects. Two particularly important components of the course involve the training of students on how to: 1) critically assess and interpret published scientific data, and 2) enhance and optimize experimental rigor and reproducibility. 

This course introduces students to the methods and mechanisms for engineering interfaces on the nano- and microscale. Two approaches to engineering interfaces, generally classified as synthesis and fabrication, specifically include: i) preparing substrates that have nano- and/or micro-scale features; and ii) creating anao and/or micro-scale substrates. The substrate materials discussed will typically consist of ceramics, polymers, and metals whereas biological systems will comprise cells, genes and ligands. 

This course will introduce students to various physical, chemical, and biological methods of characterizing biointerfaces, broadly defined. Biointerfaces will include conventional interfaces of biomolecules (e.g., proteins) on artificial substrates, as well as interfaces of submicroscopic and nanoscale particles with biomolecules and cells. 

This course provides an integration of engineering and mathematical principles with molecular and cell biology entities for the understanding of physiology and solution of medical problems. 

The objectives of this course are to build basic foundation for understanding of mechanisms on electrical, mechanical, chemical, and optical transducers in the context of biomedical applications. To teach critical thinking considering microengineering design and fabrication, material compatibility with biological systems, and cellular interaction at the interface. Finally current MEMS activities will be reviewed with emphasis on the examination of the viability of nanoscale devices and bioMEMS technology in particular biomedical applications such as capillary electrophoresis and miniaturizedpolymerase chain reaction for biochips, and exploration of integrated microdevices for minimally invasive surgery, personalized medicine and drug delivery.

This course will discuss the engineering of novel pharmaceutical delivery systems with enhanced efficacy and safety profiles, with an emphasis on the design and application of materials that overcome drug delivery barriers or challenges. 

This course is for graduate students who seek academic credit for an external co-operative or internship experience.

Advanced study of current areas of brain research. Topics include information processing in the brain, pattern recognition in different sensory modalities, advanced techniques of diagnosing different system disorders, and data recording and techniques of analysis. Topics vary depending on student interest and faculty availability. 

The course arms the student with the knowledge and perspective needed to evaluate their research for commercial application, to legally protect their innovation, to seek financial resources for venture monetization, to market and present their ideas to interested parties, and to document their venture details within a business plan. With innovation case studies focused upon engineering in the life and physical sciences, and team-based projects to develop feasibility and business plans, the student can easily bridge the current graduate curriculum, focused upon engineering and science, to its natural and successful application in the business world.  

This course provides an overview of the pharmaceutical industry, ranging from early drug discovery to bringing new small molecule and biological pharmaceutical products to the market. In addition to learning about key areas of the pharmaceutical industry from experts in the field, students will work in teams to investigate and present on several topics including: the features of a drug label; project management; the biological basis of novel therapeutics; reviewing therapeutic areas; and examining product portfolios for several pharmaceutical companies.

This course acts as an introduction to computer programming with the Python programming language. The basics of imperative programming will be covered as well as selected areas of computer science, object oriented programming and data structures. 

Beginning with a consideration of basic cellular constituents and cell and tissue types, this course reviews cellular processes in the cytoplasm, cell and organellar membranes and the nucleus. Uses of recombinant DNA technology in investigating gene structure and function and in diagnosing genetic diseases complement examination of inheritance patterns in humans and review of genetic loci that underlie human disease. 

Examination of molecular and chromosomal bases for human inherited diseases. Molecular approaches to gene identification, including position cloning and linkage analysis. Role of mutations, evaluation of repetitive sequences in the human genome.

Molecular mechanisms of cell type differentiation and body part specification. Cell-cell interaction, signal transduction during development, morphogenetic gradients, pattern formation, focusing on three experimental organisms: the nematode C. elegans, Drosophila, and the mouse. Genetic experimental approaches will be emphasized. 

Analysis of the microscopic structure of the cells making up the tissues and organs of the body provides a foundational knowledge for future studies in the area of histopathology. In addition to normal histological structure, the course exposes students to relevant histopathologies, which illustrate changes in normal architecture produced by diseases. 

Study of macroscopic structure of the human body by dissection and other methods with reference to functional mechanisms and changes during development and clinical correlations. 

Diffusion in solids. Solutions to Fick’s first and second laws under important boundary conditions. Ionic diffusion. Diffusion applied to sintering. Solid-state reaction kinetics. Nucleation, crystal growth, and precipitation. 

Momentum transport processes in laminar and turbulent flow systems. Development and application of steady and unsteady boundary layer processes including growth, similitude principles, and separation. Potential flow theory coupled with viscous dissipation at boundaries. Momentum transport in fixed and fluid bed exchangers and reactors.

Energy balances derived from first and second law approaches to open systems, with reaction. Conduction in fluids and solids, both steady and unsteady examples. Convection in laminar and turbulent flow systems. Diffusion and its treatment in stagnant and flowing media. Two phase systems, coupled reaction and mass transfer. Interphase transport. 

Principles of applied chemical kinetics, reaction mechanisms and rate laws, and engineering design of reactor vessels. Applications to homogeneous and heterogeneous process reaction systems with internal, transphase, and external mass transfer. Noncatalytic gas-solid reaction and gas-liquid absorption with reaction. Micromixing and macromixing in reactor systems. 

Integration of the principles of chemical engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology. Development and application of biochemical engineering principles. Analysis of biochemical and microbial reactions.

This course will provide an introductory survey of the fundamental principles of glycosciences (i.e., science and technology of carbohydrates or the ‘glycome’), followed by discussions of some of the cutting-edge applications of the principles of glycosciences to several interdisciplinary problems relevant to the disciplines of biochemical engineering.

Introduction to pharmaceutical materials and its application to designing and manufacturing drug products. Focus is on materials encountered in the pharmaceutical industry and how the materials affect processes they are used in. The course focuses on the choice of materials, troubleshooting and optimization.

This course will discuss the engineering of novel pharmaceutical delivery systems with enhanced efficacy and safety profiles, particularly those that involve the use of nanostructured materials. Topics will include drug delivery fundamentals and membrane transport, nanoparticles for drug delivery, applications and case studies. 

Physical and chemical structure of polymers; morphology of polymer crystals; microscopic texture. Mechanical properties; influence of orientation; effects of temperature and environment; engineering applications. 

Emphasis on a modern treatment of polymers, including statistical mechanics scaling concepts and polymer properties and characterization.

Covers the theoretical and multiscale simulation methods which bridge macroscopic thermodynamics and continuum transport theories with atomistic quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics.

This course is an introduction to the chemistry and materials properties of high polymers. The underlying rationale of this course is to provide chemists as well as chemical and biomedical engineers a sound understanding of the key principles that differentiate polymers as unique materials. 

Introduction to the physical chemistry of proteins, nucleic acids, and their complexes. Forces that determine biopolymer structure. Principles of protein and nucleic acid structure. Transitions and interactions of biopolymers. 

Intended for students who have not had undergraduate preparation in the subject. May not be taken for credit toward a graduate degree in computer science. Models of computation and complexity. Sorting, stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, search trees, hashing, heaps, graphs, and graph algorithms. 

Derivation, analysis, and application of methods used to solve numerical problems with computers; solution of equations by iteration, approximation of functions, differentiation and quadrature, differential equations, linear equations and matrices, least squares. 

Overview of artificial intelligence. Basic problems and methods; deductive inference, declarative programming, heuristic search; reasoning and representation in perception, planning, and learning.

The purpose of this course is to introduce relational and NoSQL database concepts with emphasis on both theoretical and practical learning. This course helps students learn and apply knowledge of the SQL language and implementing components of relational and NoSQL database systems (DBMS). 

We will cover basic foundations of modern AI: intelligent agents, actions, and planning under uncertainty. You will learn about modeling, algorithmic implementations, and applications of AI techniques to areas such as data mining, computer vision, and computational biology. 

Pattern recognition as an inductive process, statistical classification, parametric and nonparametric methods, adaptive methods, error estimation, applications in image processing, character, speech recognition, and diagnostic decision making.

An in-depth study of supervised methods for machine learning, to impart an understanding of the major topics in this area, the capabilities and limitations of existing methods, and research topics in this field. 

A survey of computational methods in biology or medicine; topics vary from instructor to instructor and may include computational molecular biology, medical reasoning, and imaging. 

This course focuses on the foundations of modern genomics: from experimental design to data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation. 

Sampling and quantization of analog signals; z-transforms; digital filter structures and hardware realizations; digital filter design methods; DFT and FFT methods and their application to fast convolution and spectrum estimation; introduction to discrete-time random signals. 

Acoustics of speech generation; perceptual criteria for digital representation of audio signals; signal processing methods for speech analysis; waveform coders; vocoders; linear prediction; differential coders (DPCM, delta modulation); speech synthesis; automatic speech recognition; voice-interactive information systems. 

The goal of the course is to provide an overview on different aspects of recovering the geometry from single or multiple cameras. You are assumed to know the basic concepts of linear algebra and random processes. The textbook will be more difficult to follow without some background. Previous exposure to computer vision is also recommended. 

The course will introduce students to a step-wise design process of biotechnology development and students will design and develop the specific biotechnology during the course related to global health application. Biomedical technologies will utilize the principles of microfluidics, BioMEMS, multi biosensing modalities, surface functionalization, mathematical modeling and on-chip sample processing. 

Charge transport, diffusion and drift current, injection, lifetime, recombination, and generation processes, p-n junction devices, transient behavior, FET’s, I-V, and frequency characteristics, MOS devices C-V, C-f, and I-V characteristics, operation of bipolar transistors. 

Review of microwave devices, O- and M-type devices, microwave diodes, Gunn, IMPATT, TRAPATT, etc., scattering parameters and microwave amplifiers, heterostructures and III-V compound-based BJTs and FETs. 

Principles of laser action, efficiency, CW and pulse operation, mode locking, output coupling, equivalent circuits, gaseous and molecular lasers, solid-state lasers, single and double heterojunction lasers, different geometrics, fabrication, degradation, and application to holography, communication, medicine, and fusion. 

Mechanical behavior and properties of oxide and nonoxide ceramics, emphasizing fracture, microstructure, and environment. Differences in plastic behavior of ceramics related to creep, wear resistance, and hardness. 

Ideas and techniques of numerical analysis illustrated by problems in the approximation of functions, numerical solution of linear and nonlinear systems of equations, approximation of matrix eigen-values and eigenvectors, numerical quadrature, and numerical solution of ordinary differential equations. 

Introduction to robotics, including mechanisms and control theories as well as applications; manipulator mechanics; design considerations; control fundamentals; adaptive and sensory controls; algorithm development; robotic assembly techniques. 

Selected topics from the study of the human body as a mechanical system, with emphasis on modeling, analysis, and design. Investigation of biomechanical systems frequently encountered in orthopedic surgery and physical rehabilitation. 

Understand the major categories, tools, components and applications of microfluidic and nanofluidic systems. Microfabrication, physicochemical description of hydrodynamics, low Reynolds number flows and other phenomena will be discussed. 

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic molecular genetics. Bacteria, bacterio-phage, yeast, Drosophila, and mammals. 

Application of molecular and cell biology to a wide variety of human diseases; recent advances in understanding basic mechanisms. 

Cellular basis of immunology; analysis, activation, and function of lymphoid cells; regulatory mechanisms, relevance to tumor and transplantation immunity. 

Detailed consideration of fundamental physical-chemical properties, schemes of classification, genetics, and modes of replication of selected animal viruses. 

Emphasis on the molecular, cellular, and genetic basis for cancer. Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Signal transduction and cell cycle control in cancer cells. Metastasis. Diagnosis and therapy. Recent understanding of the molecular basis of selected human cancers. Lectures and critical discussion of the current literature. 

This course is a one semester survey of biochemistry, including (1) enzyme structure, function, and kinetics, (2) carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolic pathways, and (3) replication, transcription, translation, and gene regulation. 

This course will serve as the basis for an advanced understanding of how the fundamental processes in neurons mediate communication and go awry in disease states. 

The main focus of this course is the application of R programming to the analysis of genetic data, particularly “big data” sets with multiple measurements. The course provides the introductory skills needed to conduct basic computational research in the life sciences, including many aspects of computer programming and data analysis.

Comprehensive study of the cardiovascular system in mammals. Special consideration given to coronary circulation, myocardial-oxygen consumption, and cardiac arrhythmias. 

Study of human physiology from the molecular to the systems level. Emphasis is on the integration of the systems within the healthy individual. Teaching modalities include lectures, small discussion groups, and laboratories in pulmonary and cardiovascular physiology. 

This course is designed to introduce experimental biologists to bioinformatics concepts, principles, and techniques within the framework of basic shell scripting and web-based databases/tools. 

The course will focus on the immune system and inflammation, as it relates to brain function (i.e. the impact of neuroinflammation), with relevance to all manner of cognitive and emotional behaviors, as well as neuropsychiatric conditions.

Statistical techniques for biomedical data. Analysis of observational studies emphasized. Topics include measures of disease frequency and association; inferences for dichotomous and grouped case-control data; logistic regression for identification of risk factors; Poisson models for grouped data; Cox model for continuous data; life table analysis; and SAS used in analysis of data. 

Statistical techniques used in design and analysis of controlled clinical experiments. Topics include introduction to four phases of clinical trials; randomization, blocking, stratification, balancing, power, and sample-size calculation; data monitoring and interim analyses; baseline covariate adjustment; crossover trials; brief introduction to categorical and eventtime data; and SAS used in analysis of data. 

Fundamental principles of experimental design; completely randomized variance component designs; randomized blocks; Latin squares; incomplete blocks; partially hierarchic mixed-model experiments; factorial experiments; fractional factorials; and response surface exploration.