Abstract
In the 21st century, the highest priority for most people is health. Biomedical engineering plays an important role in improving the health and quality of life of people. The analysis and synthesis of the vast amount of biomedical information generated by the dramatic progresses in modern biology require the application of new concepts and technologies in engineering. An integrative approach is essential for the elucidation of physiological regulation in health and the development of innovative methods for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. The integration requires interdisciplinary research and education at the interface of biology, medicine and engineering, the coordination of research across multiple scales in the biological hierarchy, and the synergism of science and technology with the ultimate aim of translation. The integration of research findings with the aid of systems biology has led to the generation of a cohesive body of knowledge through engineering analysis and network construction. Integration of advances in science and technology, including fields such as drug delivery, nanomedicine, bioimaging, biomaterials, stem cells, regenerative medicine, non-invasive procedures, wireless health, etc., will lead to improvements in healthcare and its delivery. These approaches will allow the practice of individualized, preventative medicine that is patient-centered and cost-effective. The achievement of these promises and challenges requires the innovation from academia, its collaboration with industry and hospitals for translation, and the support by government and private foundations. Such collaborations in biomedical engineering among academia, clinical medicine, industry, private sector, and government will lead to the enhancements of health and quality of life of people.
About the speaker
Prof Shu Chien received his MD from the National Taiwan University and his PhD in Physiology from Columbia University, where he was a Professor from 1969 to 1988. He joined the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 1988 and became the founding chair of the Department of Bioengineering in 1994. As principal investigator on the Whitaker Foundation Development Award (1993) and Leadership Award (1998), Prof Chien played a major role in establishing UCSD’s bioengineering program as one of the top two programs in the United States. As founding Director of the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering at UCSD, he helps foster collaborations among the faculty of UCSD and with research institutes and biomedical companies in San Diego. As founding Director of the UC Systemwide Bioengineering Institute in California, he has contributed to collaborations in research and education among the ten UC campuses. In 2006, Prof Chien was named the inaugural holder of the Y.C. Fung Endowed Chair in Bioengineering at the USCD Jacobs School of Engineering. He is also currently Director of UCSD's Institute of Engineering in Medicine.
Prof Chien's research focuses on how the forces of blood flow impact the cardiovascular system. His studies are leading to new understanding about the onset of atherosclerosis and hypertension, and to the development of therapeutical approaches for cardiovascular disease. At the molecular level, he is discovering how mechanical forces signal gene expression to cause cell growth, migration and cell death. Prof Chien takes a multidisciplinary, integrative approach that combines engineering and biomedical sciences. He employs an array of technologies including nanotechnology, DNA microarrays, bioinformatics, cell biophysics and biomechanics in his research. He also co-founded Celladon Corporation and serves as a consultant to AVIVA Biosciences and BioDuro.
Prof Chien is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, US National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the Academia Sinica, and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. For his pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering, Prof Chien received the US National Medal of Science in 2011.
|
