Welcome to the Department of Bioengineering in the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside. Established in 2006 by National Academy of Engineering member Jerome S. Schultz, our department is home to a cutting-edge research program and a nationally recognized, unique student training and educational enterprise.

Innovative Interdisciplinary Research

Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary field where engineering/physical sciences and biology/medicine synergistically meet, work together, cross-fertilize, mutually benefit, lead to discoveries, and define and usher in new fronts of interdisciplinary research. Our core faculty is comprised of internationally acclaimed bioengineers with multidisciplinary expertise. Together we carry out cutting edge, collaborative research as well as provide enriched, in-depth training for our students in following focus areas:

• Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine
• Biomedical Imaging
• Computational Bioengineering
• Molecular and Cellular Engineering
• Neuroengineering

Other bioengineering areas are covered by faculty in the Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Graduate (BIG) program which includes 49 additional faculty members with biomedical engineering or bioengineering interest, across the campus in departments ranging from Mechanical Engineering to the Biomedical Sciences Division in the School of Medicine. Together, we are positioned to achieve translational bioengineering research excellence.

Rigorous Student Preparation in a Welcoming Environment

The educational program, at both undergraduate and graduate levels, in our department is heavily integrated with our research activities and is intended for well-qualified individuals who wish to become future leaders in academia or industry. At the undergraduate level, an emphasis is placed on fundamental preparation and undergraduate research. Consequently, many of our B.S. graduates are highly successful in gaining admission into renowned graduate programs all around the world, with a number of them receiving prestigious awards such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. For those who opt for industrial positions, our training prepares them with engineering and biomedical fundamentals and the ability to apply their knowledge to solve real world problems and to translate creative ideas quickly to practical outcomes.

At the graduate level, our education effort is equally excellent. BIG is designed to not only prepare the entering graduate student with a well-rounded academic preparation in engineering and the biosciences for research, but also to help them hone their skills in communicating advanced technical information to an academically diverse audience. This rigorous but welcoming attention helps our students release their potential in expressive productivity. As a consequence, despite our relative youth, 24% of our eligible doctoral students are NSF Graduate Research Fellows.

One of the Most Diverse Educational Programs in the Nation

Finally, the Department of Bioengineering and BIG are beyond merely committed to diversity. Just as an educationally diverse faculty is needed to provide the most advanced preparation for our graduates, a diverse community provides a wealth of insight in formulating new ideas and solutions to problems. Our graduate program is a gender-balanced blend of US and international students with 68% domestic PhD students. Among the domestic PhD students, 24% are currently underrepresented minorities.

If you are interested in an exciting research-focused educational program that will prepare you to be a leader in the field of biomedical engineering or bioengineering, UCR is the right place for you. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

With Warmest Regards,

Xiaoping Hu, Ph.D.
Provost Fellow
Professor and Chair
Department of Bioengineering
University of California, Riverside