Duke BME is dedicated to incorporating diversity, equality and inclusivity and community into all aspects of the department, including our educational curriculum, outreach programs and research pursuits.
Education
In Duke BME, our goal is to teach students how to recognize and solve biomedical issues that impact communities both locally and globally.
- First Year Design
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Historically, the first year of engineering education has had little engineering; instead, courses for students have been foundational courses in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. The new course Engineering Design and Communication engages all first-year students in an authentic, hands-on, project-based design course. Student teams engage in the engineering design process and build low- and medium-fidelity prototypes to solve a community-based need or problem.
- BME 460
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BME 460, a capstone design course, is offered to engineering students at Duke University. Students are paired with health care professionals to build custom assistive, recreational, or therapeutic devices for people with disabilities in the local community.
- Ethics Everywhere
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Designing biomedical technologies requires an understanding of the diverse communities we serve and how to innovate with multiple stakeholders in mind. We have incorporated ethics training broadly across the BME undergraduate curriculum to teach our students about ethical frameworks, professional codes, stakeholder analyses, and designing for diverse populations to emphasize the importance of community in engineering.
Outreach
We believe Duke BME's commitment to equity and anti-racism should go beyond the walls of our university. As such, Duke BME aims to expose young students in the Durham area to STEM concepts and projects, and to establish productive and beneficial relationships between local Durham schools and Duke.
- The Duke Research in Engineering Program
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The Duke Research in Engineering Program (DukeREP) is a 7-week summer program hosted by the Duke Biomedical Engineering Program (BME) for high school students with an interest in science and engineering. DukeREP's mission is to increase diversity in STEP fields. Our program introduces students from diverse backgrounds to scientific research in hopes of inspiring them to pursue academic and professional careers in STEM.
- Outreach Design Education (ODE) Program
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The Outreach Design Education (ODE) Program at Duke University is a free immersive design program to help introduce younger students, particularly underrepresented minority students, to engineering and to foster an early appreciation for STEP. By focusing on design, rather than conceptual or abstract learning exercises, ODE can give students the practical skills to identify problems and to develop solutions.
Upcoming ODE Events:
- Hackathon – March 24 & 25
- ODE Summer Design Camp - June 19 - July 20
- ODE Summer Design Camp for Teachers - June 19 - July 20
Research
As biomedical engineers, we believe our work should have a profound, positive impact on society. To accomplish this, Duke BME faculty, staff and students pursue challenging researchers projects with the goal of making the world a more healthy, safe and equitable place for all.
- The Center for Global Women's Health Technologies
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The Center for Global Women's Health Technologies (GWHT) aspires to make cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment more accessible and more effective for women worldwide. This center, since inception, has catalyzed new research activities and the development and commercialization of several technologies that advance prevention and treatment of cervical and breast cancer. By placing women at the center of healthcare solutions, GWHT leverages technology to create sustainable ecosystems of change.