About UofM BME
Contact Us
The BME Department office is located on UofM's main campus in the Engineering Technology building, room 330. Our mailing address is: Biomedical Engineering330 Engineering Technology Bldg
3806 Norriswood Ave
Memphis, TN 38152
Contact UofM BME at:
bme@memphis.edu
t: 901.678.3733
f: 901.678.5281
What is Biomedical Engineering?
Biomedical Engineering (BME) is a broad field that focuses on improving health through the integrated use of engineering, biology and medical principles. For example, biomedical engineers are involved in: designing new implants for those who suffer from hip fractures; developing medical devices for sensing electrical signals to detect heart problems; developing technologies to visualize and detect disease or tissue function non-invasively; and growing tissues/organs to repair or replace those lost to disease or injury. Biomedical engineers work in industry, in hospitals, in research labs (at academic, corporate, government, and non-profit institutions), and at regulatory agencies (to help ensure that devices and technologies are safe and effective). Our program has a strong record of job placement after graduation: approximately 55% of our students find positions working in industry, 30% go on to pursue a graduate degree, and 10% go on to medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, or other professional programs.
(To learn more about our undergraduate and graduate BME degree programs, visit our Academics page)
Student Groups, Research, and Outreach
Our students can explore BME topics more in-depth, learn about career opportunities, and give back to the community by getting involved in any of the several extracurricular engineering-student organizations on campus. The UofM has active student chapters of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Alpha Eta Mu Beta (AEMB, the National BME Honor Society), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), among others. Many students do internships and/or undergraduate research for either academic credit or hourly pay in faculty labs. There are also multiple opportunities for community outreach, such as serving as a student ambassador for the West Tennessee STEM Hub.
Guiding Philosophies
The Mission of The University of Memphis Biomedical Engineering program is to educate students from diverse backgrounds through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates life sciences, clinical medicine, and engineering, for careers that innovate and advance healthcare in industry, research and health-related professions.
The BME Department Vision is to be recognized in Tennessee and nationally as a leader in biomedical engineering education, research, development, and in professional and public service.
Diversity Statement: The Biomedical Engineering program includes individuals of diverse races, ethnicities, beliefs, ages, abilities, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, geographies, genders, and sexual orientations. We recognize that many unique ideas, opinions, and approaches enrich learning, fuel discovery, foster creativity, and launch innovation. The Department is committed to welcoming and fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community to address health challenges.
BME Dept. History
Biomedical Engineering started in 1989 as a concentration in graduate studies leading to the PhD in the Herff College of Engineering at Memphis State University (which became The University of Memphis--UofM--in 1994). In 1989, the biomedical engineering graduate degree program was established in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the College of Graduate Health Sciences at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)-Memphis. With the support of a grant from The Whitaker Foundation, the two graduate programs merged in 1996 to establish the Joint Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, offering both the MS and PhD degrees. The University of Memphis launched the B.S. in Biomedical Engineering program in 2005 and had its first graduate in December 2008.