Work, work, and work

For those of you out there that have been wondering what classes I've been taking, this post is for you. Hopefully it goes into a little bit of detail for the geeks reading this, yet does not bore you non-engineers to death.

Fall '09

In the interest of testing the waters of a new academic environment, I decided to take just a standard courseload (10 units) during my first quarter here. Although 'standard', I found myself really challenged and at times overwhelmed with the persistent onslaught of work. With due dates regularly falling on Wednesdays, all-nighter Tuesdays became the norm.

Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (BIOE300A - 3 units) : This was a core requirement for our class of 20 students. It assumed a pretty solid background in molecular and cellular biology (which I didn't have), so I had to do a lot of catch up. What was unique and great about the class was that during weekly sections (tutorials), a pair of students would present to the class an analysis of a hot publication and direct a discussion. Some really challenging problem sets (assignments) got us using MATLAB and special software to understand how engineering tools can be used in biology, including designing nanostructures using DNA strands and determining what amino acid sequences minimize energies of protein structures.

Cardiovascular Bioengineering (BIOE284A - 3 units) : This course taught us how engineering principles such as computational fluid dynamics and traditional mechanics were applied to the cardiovascular system.

Orthopaedic Bioengineering (BIOE381 - 3 units) : We learned how engineering principles could be applied to the musculoskeletal system. Written critiques were done for 2-3 journal papers a week, which was a little tough.

Intro to Bioengineering Research (BIOE390 - 1 unit) : Bioengineering leverages so many fields to understand living systems and to engineer systems that enhance health. Each week, 2-hour seminars were given by different professors, which gave us a taste of many different areas in bioengineering.

Winter '10

I took 10 units in the first quarter. To keep the option of finishing my Master's (45 units) in three quarters open, I decided to up the ante and take 18 units this quarter. Sacrifices were made. Sleep was optional; caffeine was not.

Physiology and Tissue Engineering (BIOE300B - 3 units) : This course gave us a really comprehensive overview of the physiology and pathophysiology of the major organ systems and the role of engineering in diagnosis and treatment.

Molecular and Cellular Engineering Lab (BIOE301A - 2 units) : In this hands-on class, groups of students were taught wet lab techniques to perform an experiment involving microbe survival. Using microarray analysis, our group investigated the effects of ethanol concentration on gene expression of E.Coli.

Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation (BIOE374A - 4 units) : We learned methods of identifying a need in the medical setting, doing stakeholder and market analyses to better understand the need and establish need criteria, brainstorming solutions, selecting concepts, early prototyping and analyzing intellectual property. The need we set out to address was to develop an effective, non-invasive outpatient monitoring device and process to reduce rehospitalization rates of heart failure patients. At the end the quarter, our team pitched our ideas to some leaders in the med tech industry, to mixed success. This is a two-quarter course.

Intro to Neuroelectrical Engineering (EE124 - 3 units) : This course taught us neural physiology and statistical data analysis, and got us to design decoders that could interpret movement signals generated from the brain for the control of prosthetic devices such as artificial limbs.

Bioengineering Departmental Research Colloquium (BIOE393 - 1 unit) : This seminar series was a collection of presentations by students and faculty.

The Responsible Conduct of Research (MED255 - 1 unit) : This single-day workshop taught us how to approach ethical dilemmas that commonly arise in biomedical research.

Directed Investigation (BIOE392 - 4 units) : This was an independent research project, or 'rotation', I did in Associate Professor Charles Taylor's Cardiovascular Biomechanics Lab. Pairing up with a student from the Department of Biology, we used computational models of the pulmonary vessels of a young patient with Alagille syndrome (a condition in which pulmonary arteries can be stenosed, or constricted) to investigate changes in haemodynamics before and after surgical reconstruction. This was a simulations-heavy project, sharing some similarities with the heart mechanics project I worked on at Auckland before I got here. I am currently continuing work on this project.

Spring '10

This quarter's comparatively lighter courseload of 9 units gives me more time to explore other great things this place has to offer - seminars by notable guest speakers including Malcolm Gladwell, the German Chancellor, former Presidents and Nobel Laureates; conferences - Medical Robotics and Cardiovascular Technology; sporting, cultural and social activities held by groups and communities on campus; sights to see; good food.

Biodesign Innovation: Concept Development and Implementation (BIOE374B - 4 units) : Continuing on from last quarter, we are developing our lead concept. We expect to learn about the processes involved in getting our idea approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and getting our solution reimbursed by medical insurance companies. Since each team is expected to write a business plan and pitch our plan to venture capitalists and company CEOs, both of which I have never done before, it will be interesting to see how things pan out.

Technology Entrepreneurship (ENGR145 - 4 units) : I decided to take this as an elective class, as a complement to the Biodesign Innovation class (above). This project-based class offers a broader perspective on the conception and growth of a technology-based enterprise.

Clinical Needs and Technology (BIOE301B - 1 unit) : We will be taking part in lab experiments involving ventricular assist devices, motion and gait analysis, vascular pathology, pulmonary function testing and surgical simulation. Hopefully I will get a chance to observe from start to finish, a 12-hour-long procedure in which a surgeon will perform an operation for a congenital heart defect.