A disease-centered approach to biomaterials education and medical device design

This paper describes the development of a novel elective course in biomaterials which integrates clinical medicine with engineering principles. In this educational approach, students are first introduced to disease pathologies and clinical needs, and then exposed to engineering technologies that can fulfill unmet needs. The course is directed toward the question, "Where are clinical needs most urgent, and how can engineering be applied to meet those needs?" This clinically-oriented, disease-centered approach is valuable for science and engineering education, as it relays to students the centrality of engineering in solving the world\´s most pressing healthcare problems.