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The field of biomaterials encompasses the design, synthesis and study of natural or synthetic materials to either detect disease or repair, restore or replace lost function. While biomaterials have been around since the beginning of medicine, knowledge of how the body interacts with implanted materials has grown exponentially. This, in turn, has transformed the field from one where any surgically available materials were used indiscriminately to precise selection of biocompatible materials.

Recent advances have moved beyond passive biomaterials that are walled off by the body to ones that actively participate in the body's efforts to repair itself. Such biomimetic and bioactive materials are designed to more accurately interact with the body's natural structures and functions, from macro to micro to nano and molecular levels.

Materials-related research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering focuses on four main areas:

Nanomedicine – Creation of nano and micro platforms that deliver therapeutic payloads and respond to delivery stimulus. Applications include imaging agents, vaccines and immunotherapies.

Biomedical Devices – Using structure/function relationships and bio-inspired approaches to develop new categories of biomaterials that better sense and/or mimic their biological environment and are capable of changing to meet the clinical need.

Drug Delivery – Developing a better understanding of therapeutic delivery to create clinically relevant delivery profiles, in situ reloading and targeted delivery. Applications include cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, inflammation and ophthalmological diseases.

Tissue Engineering – Combining stem cell and biomolecule delivery approaches to create tissues in vitro and promote their integration and repair in vivo. Applications include cardiovascular, orthopedic and neural tissues.

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