Seeking physicians to assist students developing diagnostic tests

Are you interested in working with engineering students or in improving clinical practice?

The U-M Department of Biomedical Engineering is looking for physicians to act as clients for the Eng 100.500: Biotechnology and Human Values course during the Fall 2016 term.

Physicians work with one or two student teams to develop a novel diagnostic test. The goal is to have the student team develop a presymptomatic sequencing or expression test that will improve the physician’s clinical practice. The diagnostic tests can apply current methods or emerging technologies, such as nanosystems, camera pills or lab-on-a-chip.

Additionally, teams consider the legal, ethical, and societal issues involved with the technology and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of their proposed test. The course is predicated on the assumptions that a meaningful introduction to biomedical engineering and biotechnology includes solving problems for a real client, exploring the leading edges of the field and learning strategies to solve novel problems.

The challenge has been to turn teenagers straight out of high school into individuals with a real appreciation, based on experience, of what it takes to be a biomedical engineer.

The commitment will be around 10 hours over the entire term:

• Three meetings (~1 hour/meeting, maximum of 4 hours total): First meeting(s) should take place in mid-September, second meeting at the beginning of October, and the final meeting by the end of October

• Research an idea (or two) for a diagnostic test (1-2 hours): In case your team has not developed an idea for a diagnostic test by the third meeting, research a feasible idea for them to use.

• Email questions (2 hours): After the three meetings, the teams may have additional questions that can be triaged via a couple of one-hour email sessions.

For more information and to see examples of past Eng 100 projects, visit the undergraduate design website.

If you are interested, please contact Rachael Schmedlen. Ph.D., Lecturer IV, Biomedical Engineering at shope@umich.edu or at 734-763-0575.

Website: http://bme.umich.edu/academics/design-program/undergraduate-design/