UT Southwestern Medical Center partnered with UT Arlington in 1974 to establish the first Ph.D. biomedical engineering (BME) program in Texas. This pioneering effort, coupled with the extensive collaboration with the engineering school at UT Dallas, has enabled UT Southwestern to sustain a vibrant and highly sought-after graduate BME program. UT Southwestern established The Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2021 with the mission to drive programmatic integration in biomedical engineering and address emerging clinical and scientific challenges in medicine and biology using innovative technologies. the Department leverages the expertise of a diverse pool of clinical and basic science investigators in traditional academic departments at UT Southwestern to provide personalized research opportunities for our students and collaborators. Strengthened by the inter-institutional collaboration with UT Dallas and UT Arlington engineering schools, our BME researchers and trainees have full access to traditional engineering faculty and resources.
We offer Ph.D. degrees through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees in conjunction with UT Southwestern Medical School.
Department Chair Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director W. Matthew Petroll, Ph.D.
Samuel Achilefu’s message
Professor
Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Welcome to the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UT Southwestern, where creativity and innovative problem-solving initiatives are cherished. We live in a new era of technological revolution grounded on solid engineering principles, requiring that we embrace the concept of empowering health and science through technological innovations. We can accomplish this goal by transforming ideas into technology-driven clinical and biological solutions to improve health and understanding.
My primary job as Chair is to create an exciting and collaborative environment for researchers, teachers, and trainees. This will enable us to educate the next generation of creative biomedical engineers, conduct and coordinate innovative and transformative research, and catalyze clinical and commercial translation of research discoveries and products.
The setting of our BME Department in a medical center renowned for its patient care, paradigm-shifting biological sciences, and state-of-the-art research centers and core facilities provides a unique opportunity for biomedical engineers and physical scientists to work closely with clinicians and biological scientists and develop multidisciplinary teams to solve pressing challenges in medicine and biology. We encourage students to participate in experiential learning as a way of providing insight into clinical challenges. This approach is designed to stimulate students’ engagement in the early stages of their training and serve as the engine for developing innovative engineering solutions to clinical problems.
Finally, I believe that science, engineering, and medicine thrive when people of diverse races, cultures, and representations participate in every level of the academic endeavor and leadership. Accordingly, our Department invites you to help us make this world a better place for all through your engineering, medical, and scientific prowess. I am fully committed to ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and equitably.
I look forward to working with you.
Matthew Petroll’s message
Professor
Director, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
Biomedical Engineering – the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology – offers a range of opportunities to improve human health and well-being. Housed in one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers and coordinated with the UTSW Department of Biomedical Engineering, the UTSW BME graduate program is focused on translational research advances in the understanding, detection, and treatment of human disease.
Our graduate program features over 100 faculty members with appointments in basic science, engineering, and clinical departments, providing a wide range of research opportunities for our PhD students. In addition to the UTSW Department of Biomedical Engineering, we have inter-institutional collaborations with UT Dallas and UT Arlington engineering schools, thus our students have access to a range of resources for education and research training.
Students in the BME Program are directly involved in the development and application of cutting-edge biomedical technologies, novel experimental approaches, and advanced computational techniques. As part of their research training, UTSW students learn to think critically, develop testable hypotheses, and design experiments that lead to new scientific discoveries and advances in clinical care. Our flexible curriculum and emphasis on experiential research training allows students to use their creativity, think independently, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively to push the boundaries of engineering, science and medicine. Thus, our graduates are ideally positioned to become leaders in both academic and industry settings.
Thank you for your interest in our program.