Our Story
Duke Biomedical Engineering consistently ranks among the top BME programs in the United States due to its impressive community of pioneering faculty, dedicated staff and inspiring students.
A Legacy of Innovative Leadership
As one of the first biomedical engineering departments in the US, Duke BME has long been recognized as a pioneer in the field since its founding. In one of the clearest hallmarks of faculty excellence, sponsored research of Duke BME has grown more than 60 percent in the last five years.
Research in the department began with cardiac electrophysiology, medical ultrasound and biomaterials. Our once-small department was where real-time 3D ultrasonic scanning was invented. Today, our faculty are recognized leaders in new and growing areas of the field, including neural engineering, biophotonics, cellular biomechanics, tissue engineering, computational medicine, synthetic biology, and drug and gene delivery.
A Prime Location for Collaboration
Our location contributes to our success. We are fortunate to be a stone’s throw away from Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke University Medical Center—one of the very best hospitals in the United States.
Our home in Durham, NC is at the center of a growing region attracting biomedical expertise and entrepreneurial opportunities and is ranked as the ‘Second-Best Place to Live’ by the U.S. News & World Report.
Less than 30 minutes away from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, our ideal location has led to numerous collaborations and fosters a collegial environment of excellence.
A Community of Service
Here in Duke BME, we want to engineer the solutions to the most pressing medical problems, whether it’s in our own local community or in communities across the globe.
Through programs like the BME Design Fellows and Outreach Design Education (ODE), our faculty and students work closely with physicians to uncover and address critical healthcare needs in hospitals and clinics both near and far. These efforts are further supported by our collaborations with the Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies, which aims to increase research, training and education to tackle global challenges in women’s health.
Our outreach programs, like Outreach Design Education, DukeREP and Ignite, help to inspire the next generation of engineers by providing local middle and high school students with opportunities to learn make their own devices and pursue research projects on Duke’s campus.
Duke BME: The Place to Be
Here in Duke BME, we’re invested in your success. From their first year, our students receive a practical and hands-on education where they’ll learn how to be thoughtful, creative and ethical engineers.
Our graduates have achieved distinction through major awards such as the Rhodes, Fulbright, and Marshall Scholarships and National Science Foundation fellowships. These graduates have become leaders in academia and in the biomedical engineering industry.
Our students are mentored by the very best. Duke BME is home to eight members of the National Academy of Inventors and 26 AIMBE fellows. Whether it’s in the lab, classroom or clinic, our faculty prepare our students for lives of skilled and ethical service to their communities by creating a free and open learning environment that fosters their intellectual growth.
Life at Duke Engineering
The Pratt School of Engineering is a highly ranked engineering school in a top 10 research university with a strong liberal arts tradition. That’s a rare and powerful mix. Duke is a beautiful place to learn, teach and work. Here, you’ll find resources to support you, clubs and organizations to inspire you, and teams to cheer to victory.