Pioneering discoveries.
Life-changing devices.
Next gen therapies.
It all starts here.
Department
On this campus, we saw the first successful open heart surgery with direct myocardial visualization and also the first wearable cardiac pacemaker. Today, we’re building on that tradition...
—Brenda Ogle, department head (2019–2025), biomedical engineering at University of Minnesota
At the University of Minnesota Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), we value innovation, creativity, integrity, compassion for others, and service. Our work focuses on making lasting, positive changes to people’s lives by advancing knowledge and technology in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine.
It’s hard to imagine, but “biomedical engineering” and “engineering in medicine” programs were virtually unheard of 50 years ago. In fact, the stage for current collaborations among engineers, biologists, and materials scientists was set in the late 1950s on our Twin Cities campus.
University of Minnesota alumnus Earl Bakken was a young electronic repairman when pioneering heart surgeon C. Walton Lillehei asked him to help figure out how to keep cardiac pacing equipment operating during electrical blackouts. Their conversation led to Bakken’s invention of the cardiac pacemaker— plus the birth of Minnesota’s medical technology industry and the start of Medtronic, Inc.
Every day someone is coming up to me and thanking me for saving their life or their uncle or their grandparent or their child.
—Earl Bakken (1924-2018), UMN Class of 1948
Co-founder, Medtronic Inc.
Over the years, major grants have rolled into our department from industry and government entities—a testament to our can-do spirit and pioneering will.
Today, our faculty research interests range from the molecular and cellular level all the way up to tissues and organs. We’re leading breakthroughs in key health areas such as 3D bioprinting techniques, cancer treatment, and neural engineering.
Earl Bakken, cofounder of Medtronic, Inc., invented world’s first wearable pacemaker (original schematic image on P. 2)
M.S. in biomedical engineering established
UMN formed the Biomedical Engineering Institute (BMEI) to house grad programs & BMEC
Ph.D. in biomedical engineering created Biomedical Engineering Task Force proposed a Biomedical Engineering Center (BMEC)
Basic Sciences/Biomedical Engineering Building (renamed Hasselmo Hall in 2005) completed
BMEI became the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
First patent issued to BME faculty 2000
Robert Tranquillo named BME head
First Design of Medical Devices Conference held— becomes world’s largest annual event connecting industry & academia
2001
First undergraduate commencement reception hosted
2002
First spin-off company launched (MCL, LLC)
Minnetronix Medical
Boston Scientific
Solventum Medtronic
2004
Undergraduate program accredited by ABET
First major gift came from Medtronic, then Boston Scientific & Abbott (formerly St. Jude Medical) Abbott
UMN established Medical Devices Center laboratory facility on the 5th floor of Shepherd Labs
2010
2013
UMN opened newly renovated Medical Devices Center (MDC) in the Mayo Building
Medical Device Innovation Fellows program launched Integrated BS/MS 5-year program introduced MDC renamed Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center (Bakken MDC)
2017
Nothing better illustrates the profound impact of our department than the growth of the medical device industry in the Twin Cities—sparked, powered, and propelled by our faculty, students, alumni, research, and innovations.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area, also known as Medical Alley, lies in one of the world’s largest medical device clusters. The Smithsonian recognized it as one of six “Great Places of Invention” in the U.S.—and the only one for healthcare. More than 500 medical device companies, as well as 900+ pharmaceutical/biotech R&D companies, call Minnesota home. Our state has the most medical device patents per capita.
So, in addition to training Fortune 500 and startup leaders, we are uniquely positioned to move discoveries to the marketplace. Our ecosystem includes a world-class medical school and technology commercialization office.
1,000+
health-related companies in Minnesota, including our industry partners
500,000
people in-state and globally employed in Minnesota’s health industry
Cross-fertilization between industry and our BME community can be seen in direct research collaborations, as well as workforce development. Local companies contribute not only funding but guest speakers and instructors. They also consistently hire our graduates.
The University created a very strong relationship with industry, and the fruits of that relationship are continuing to blossom.
—Maximillian Fiore, biomedical industry executive & former BME Industry Advisory Board member
2019
Brenda Ogle named BME head
2020
Faculty contributed to COVID-19 research & development efforts during the pandemic
BME celebrated 20th anniversary
2022
Undergrad & high school summer research programs established
2018
1,000th undergrad degree conferred BME DEI Alliance formed
2021
First DEI coordinator hired Monthly Industry Grand Rounds launched, with local biomedical & tech speakers
2024
BME welcomed largest-ever fall senior cohort (Class of 2025)
45 %
$73.6M of faculty have a start-up
Current active awards supporting faculty research
Thousands of children born each year with congenital heart defects could avoid repeated valve replacement surgeries with this innovation that grows with the recipient.
20 out of 20 patients saw significant effects after receiving the simulator implant— one woman even began moving her legs again after 23 years.
In the largest clinical trial of its kind, this FDA-approved device significantly reduced “ringing in the ears” and sustained results for a year.
By pushing the boundaries of biomedical engineering, we are revolutionizing patient care and pioneering cutting-edge medical technologies.
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companies BME faculty and students have secured and started in
A third of our faculty undertook studies to diagnose, understand, or treat patients infected with the Covid virus.
In times of need, we step up
It took 2 weeks and 700 emails for 17 BME students to design and produce an affordable, disposable gown when local hospitals risked running out of protective gowns in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current request is for 10,000 gowns a day, starting ASAP, for a total of 350,000 gowns over the next 4-8 weeks. —Day 11 project blog post (April 27, 2020)
Our work in this area is poised to significantly impact healthcare by improving diagnostic accuracy, enhancing therapeutic efficacy, and enabling personalized medicine. Future directions include developing cost-effective technologies for more patient populations and expanding the use of artificial intelligence in medical devices. Zhi Yang’s lab, for example, is doing both. He pairs implantable electronics and integrated circuits into new electroceuticals therapies.
Accuracy of Zhi Yang’s neural AI chip, which enables amputee subjects to control a robotic hand with life-like dexterity
Ongoing faculty research projects, totaling over $20M in federal funding
2 main ingredients in vaccine ‘wafers’ that go under the tongue, developed in Chun Wang’s lab
Biodegradable, implantable materials with elastomeric properties are taking shape in Wei Shen’s lab, among others
Our key expertise includes developing bio-printed cardiac tissues, engineering immune responses, advancing drug delivery systems, and designing living heart valves. Brittany Hartwell, one of our standout faculty researchers, merges biomolecular engineering, drug delivery, and immunology to create targeted immunotherapies and vaccines. Her new method of delivering nasal vaccines could lead to better protection against diseases like HIV and COVID-19.
Our biomechanics research team is renowned for its extensive breadth and depth. The faculty—who include Patrick Alford, David Wood, Kyoko Yoshida, and Victor Barocas—bring diverse expertise to their labs. Their work spans various applications, such as understanding the mechanical aspects of pregnancy, improving cardiovascular devices, and developing innovative solutions for musculoskeletal conditions. This interdisciplinary team collaborates closely to advance knowledge and create technologies that improve patient care and treatment outcomes.
The four of us have a discussion group that meets with some regularity, and we are also at a spectrum of career stages.
12 Ph.D.-level wins over the past three years— 3 first place—at the Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference Student Paper Competition
Our visionary experts excel in a multidisciplinary approach, fusing optics, imaging, and engineering to tackle diverse healthcare challenges—from depression to aging. Among them is Taner Akkin. His research team specializes in highresolution brain mapping using advanced optical techniques. By employing tomography and a tissue slicer, they can distinguish between white and gray matter and visualize nerve fiber tracts in mesmerizing detail.
$16M
National Institutes of Health grant we’re co-leading to uncover the “wiring diagram” of the brain
Through interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty members like Jonathan Sachs are shaping the future of this field. His lab—one of several in our department focused on biomolecular, cellular, or tissue engineering—delves into fundamental research, unraveling mysteries like alphasynuclein’s role in Parkinson’s disease pathology. Such endeavors not only deepen scientific understanding but also pave the way for groundbreaking therapeutic interventions. As demand for skilled biomedical physicists, like Sachs, rises, we stand at the forefront of nurturing the next generation of talent.
>$6M
From multiple sources, including NIH, in less than 2 years for the Sachs lab to advance molecular therapeutics
This is the first known instance of using a model to predict how DNA sequence modifications control site-specific recombination rates.
Casim Sarkar, on the study in Nature Communications ”
Cancer bioengineering at the University of Minnesota merges cutting-edge technology with biomedical expertise, driving breakthroughs in early detection, personalized treatment, and drug delivery systems—revolutionizing cancer care and offering new hope to patients worldwide. Casim Sarkar’s team, for example, uses machine learning to control cell responses. Their tool predicts DNA editing rates, paving the way for personalized therapies for diseases like diabetes and cancer.
Our researchers are leading the charge in cardiac technology, focusing on engineered heart tissues and innovative cardiovascular devices. At the forefront is Brenda Ogle’s lab, pushing the boundaries of stem cell differentiation and 3D bioprinting. Her groundbreaking work goes beyond basic models, creating intricate cardiac tissue systems that set new industry benchmarks. Ogle spearheaded a national team of biomedical engineering experts to revolutionize a 3D-printed patch designed to heal scarred heart tissue post-heart attack.
Watch a video of the cells beating on the patch: z.umn.edu/BME-heart-tech
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with more than 360,000 deaths a year
From advancing non-invasive brain stimulation to developing neural interfaces that enable patients to manage pain, our neural engineering experts are leading innovation. With strong corporate partnerships, their projects receive substantial local and federal funding. For example, BME professor Hubert Lim, who also directs the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center, is the chief scientific officer for Neuromod Devices and SecondWave Systems, which are pioneering treatments for tinnitus and rheumatoid arthritis.
$21M NIH-funded vagus nerve stimulation ( VNS ) study involving more than 40 researchers worldwide—30 from the University of Minnesota
We hope to generate one of the largest publicly available datasets on VNS function in humans.
Hubert Lim
As measured by research dollars, translational successes, and educational innovations, our relatively young department has matured over the past decade into a centerpiece of the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering’s technological boom.
Today, we are accelerating that growth through expansive initiatives.
A key example of this is our Bioengineering Centers of Excellence—three highly interdisciplinary endeavors that are rapidly advancing biomedical breakthroughs for the world’s most devastating medical problems.
Extensive collaborations mark this effort. We are bringing together researchers, technology developers, clinicians, industry partners, patient communities, ethicists, and DEI experts to better understand the brain— plus to invent the next generation of neuro-technologies and deliver them to patients living with movement disorders and chronic pain.
We are part of a strong neuromodulation ecosystem that includes the largest MRI imaging center in the nation and clinical partnerships
>$19.6M
In grants & gifts raised over 6 years for neural engineering research & training
Our traumatic brain injury experts include Alexander Opitz and Patrick Alford
Want to hack the nervous system?
Our faculty are ahead of the game. Tay Netoff and Edgar Peña, for example, are leveraging their shared backgrounds in neuroscience, with individual skills in psychology and electrical engineering plus computer science respectively, to target specific neural circuits.
This faculty collective, co-lead by BME professors David Odde and Paolo Provenzano, is bringing an integrated engineering approach to cancer, with the goal of doubling the success rate of clinical trials in the next 10 years. It spans mathematical modeling, computer imaging, microfabrication, and genome engineering. In fact, it’s so interdisciplinary that we are working with dancers to model cell movement.
“Over 95% of drugs brought forth in clinical trials to treat cancers fail. We believe this is in part due to the lack of integrated engineering design principles in that process...
—Paolo Provenzano, whose work includes optimizing the body’s own immune system to fight cancer
» Z.UMN.EDU/CBI-VIDEOS
See our efforts to improve cancer prognosis
Ask Brian Herman. Our biological aging expert is now working with colleagues on the causes and effects of Alzheimer’s, but his breakthroughs in apoptosis have impacted the fields of aging, heart disease, and cancer.
Paul Iaizzo, one of our many BME graduate program faculty advisors, pioneered the reanimation of hearts for scientific and academic purpose. He runs the Visible Heart® Laboratories at the University of Minnesota, where some of the best and brightest perform research that ranges from cellular and tissue studies to organ and whole body investigations.
We are unifying our time-honored expertise in cardiovascular therapeutics, tissue engineering, and imaging electrical activity to transform the medical treatment of cardiovascular disease and injury. This avant-garde environment will also advance innovations in vascular biomechanics of aortic aneurysm and neurovascular injury.
✓ Make replacement heart vessels & valves
✓ 3D-bioprint a living cardiac pump
✓ 3D-print human heart models to test drug delivery
Professor Alena Talkachova is advancing novel approaches to help doctors identify potentially dangerous surgical sites in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.
Minnesota is one of few locations nationwide with the capability to mass produce, preserve, and distribute organoids. Our regenerative medicine experts are building up our data around the reproducibility of human cardiac tissue, neural network, and intestinal organoids, and refining technologies to cryopreserve, plus safely and rapidly rewarm them.
Our faculty, staff, and student researchers play a critical role in our success.
At the University of Minnesota Department of Biomedical Engineering, we prioritize making a positive impact in our communities. We invest in talent—exceptional individuals who are making meaningful contributions to research, teaching, and outreach.
Ours is a collaborative environment. We are united by a shared passion for conducting meticulous and fundamental science that improves quality of life and informs new research. We accelerate innovation through respectful, intellectual discourse. We recognize the importance of uplifting diverse and underrepresented perspectives.
When you join this BME department, you become a key member of a world-renowned, winning team.
Taner Akkin
Professor
Research interests: Biomedical imaging, Brain mapping, Optics
Patrick Alford
Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Research interests: Cell and tissue biomechanics and mechanobiology
Shai Ashkenazi
Associate Professor
Research interests: Ultrasound imaging, Photoacoustics
Victor Barocas
Professor
Research interests: Soft tissue biomechanics and mechanobiology
John Bischof
Professor
Research interests: Cryobiology, Hyperthermic biology, Nano-medicine, Thermal therapies, Cryo and biopreservation, Thermal/ mechanical properties
Grace Bushnell
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Biomaterials, Breast cancer dormancy, Systems biology, Immunology
Brittany Hartwell
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Drug delivery, Immunoengineering, Biomolecular engineering
Brian Herman
Professor
Research interests:
Biological aging, Programmed cell death (apoptosis), Research ethics
Matthew Johnson
Professor
Research interests:
Neural engineering, Biomedical data science, Medical device design
Andrew Khalil
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Pluripotent stem cells, Immunoengineering, Genetic engineering and synthetic biology
Hubert Lim
Professor
Research interests: Neuroengineering, Hearing devices, Neuro-immune technologies, Whole person health, Translational research and commercialization
Tay Netoff
Professor
Research interests: Neurological disease therapy, Neuromodulation, Therapy optimization
David Odde
Professor
Research interests: Cellular and molecular bioengineering, Cancer bioengineering, Modeling
Brenda Ogle
Professor and Department Head
Research interests: Stem cell differentiation, Extracellular matrices, 3D bioprinting
Alexander Opitz
Associate Professor
Research interests: Neuromodulation, Neural engineering
Edgar Peña
Assistant Professor
Research interests:
Neural engineering, Computational modeling, Optimization
Paolo Provenzano
Professor
Research interests: Cancer and immune bioengineering, Cell and matrix mechanics, Advanced imaging
Jonathan Sachs
Professor
Research interests: Biomolecular engineering, Therapeutic discovery for neurodegeneration and inflammation
Aashrith Saraswathibhatla
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Single and collective cell behavior, Biophysics, Mechanotransduction
Casim Sarkar
Professor
Research interests: Biomolecular engineering, Synthetic biology, Systems biology
Wei Shen
Associate Professor
Research interests: Biomaterials, Tissue engineering and disease modeling, Medical devices
Ronald Siegel
Professor
Research interests:
Drug delivery, Biomaterials, Pharmacokinetics
10+ Administrative support 150+ Graduate researchers 50+
Undergraduate research assistants
Alena Talkachova
Professor
Research interests: Cardiac electrophysiology, Cardiac imaging, Signal processing, Numerical simulations
Robert Tranquillo
Distinguished McKnight
University Professor Research interests: Directed cell migration, Cardiovascular tissue engineering
Chun Wang
Associate Professor Research interests: Biomaterials, Immunoengineering, Drug delivery
MEET OUR CURRENT FACULTY (FULL-TIME, ADJUNCT, GRAD PROGRAM) AND STAFF
David Wood
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Research interests: Microfluidics, Sickle cell disease, Tumor microenvironment
Zhi Yang
Associate Professor Research interests: Medical devices, Brain computer interface
Kyoko Yoshida
Assistant Professor Research interests: Soft tissue mechanics, Pregnancy, Growth, Remodeling
