Biomedical Engineering Spring 2026 Update
Research Highlights
A no-holds-barred approach to cancer
A team of researchers is breaking the mold of cancer research to dramatically improve treatment success rates.
Understanding how radiation affects organs
To better understand the effects of radiation, researchers will use miniature, 3D systems known as organs on a chip.
A new explanation for differing symptoms in sickle cell patients
A breakthrough study could explain why patients with the same genetic sickle cell mutation experience different levels of pain, organ damage, and treatment response.
Controlling how neural activity travels across the brain
A new form of brain stimulation can control how electrical activity travels across the brain, a major step toward developing targeted therapies for cognitive impairment.
Grant to pave the way for better therapeutics
Professor Casim Sarkar has been awarded a prestigious NIH Maximizing Investigators' Research Award, which will support efforts to better understand clinically vital proteins and produce new drug candidates against them.
Faculty Highlight
AIMBE inductions, board position
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) inducted Matthew Johnson, David Wood, and Achin Bhowmik to its College of Fellows, plus David Odde has been named to the AIMBE board.
Student Highlights
Student competes in NCAA Final Four for Gopher gymnastics
Leah Gonsiorowski discusses the significance of competing in the program’s first NCAA Final Four and why she chose the University of Minnesota and biomedical engineering.
Students named finalists in national device design competition
The team developed a tool to guide surgeon decision-making in cases of mesenteric ischemia, a life-threatening condition caused by insufficient blood flow to the intestines.
Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for student
Ahmed Sharara received the nationally competitive scholarship, awarded to outstanding students who intend to pursue research-oriented careers.
Alumni Highlight
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for BME grad
Kyle Kunisaki, a graduate of the department’s undergraduate program, has received a 2026 fellowship through the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program.