News
Department of Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering students Brandon Buscaglia and Marcus D’Aguiar are helping physicians see the invisible. The undergraduates developed a motorized stage and tracking prototype that works in conjunction with digital microscopes. The students’ ideas are being incorporated into a company’s tech offerings today, providing the potential to make an impact in health care applications tomorrow.

Ridding waterways of microplastics, delivering water to remote villages experiencing drought, and better ways to remove salt from water were just a few of the clean-water research projects recently presented by undergraduate students as part of RIT’s Grand Challenge Scholars program.

Blanca Lapizco-Encinas, professor of biomedical engineering in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering, was named a Fellow in the inaugural cohort of the I Aspire Leadership Academy. This leadership program aims to help STEM faculty from underrepresented backgrounds attain leadership roles at colleges and universities.

The 28th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, held on Aug. 1, is structured as a professional research conference. Research themes included everything from fundamental microbiology to the fine arts.

RIT’s genomics research capabilities have evolved significantly over the past year. The university has invested heavily in revamping and equipping its Genomics Research Lab Cluster. The overhauled genomics facilities will boost capabilities for researchers in multiple disciplines, including bioinformatics, biotechnology and environmental science.

Engineers today must be able to manage technical aspects of projects but also work effectively in a diverse, multi-cultural workplace. RIT is preparing its engineering graduates for those growing demands and was recognized by the American Society of Engineering Education as part of its national commitment to improve diversity within university engineering programs.

RIT computing professor Linwei Wang, whose research is advancing non-invasive personalized healthcare for heart diseases, is receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers and show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology.

Faculty and student researchers at RIT, and physicians from the Rochester Regional Health System (RRHS), developed a non-invasive process using infrared imaging to better detect cancerous tumors.

Researchers at RIT are providing a better map to the human heart. They are developing a critical tool that will help clinicians identify damaged areas in the heart to more accurately diagnose cardiac disease.

The big wheel will turn, but the hamsters will be humans instead. Students in RIT’s Engineering House built a Human Hamster Wheel, and instead of running in circles, as the cliché goes, their 7-foot wheel will produce electricity. Open to children and adults, the wheel will be one of many interactive exhibits featured at this year’s Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival on April 27.  

RIT honored researchers who served as principal investigators on active awards in fiscal year 2018 at an April 11 reception. Also recognized were the 20 recipients of Seed Funding Awards and 12 new inductees in RIT’s PI Millionaires. 

Meet Cesar Borges, a fifth-year biomedical engineering student, and Kalie Lazarou, an industrial and systems engineering student, who are part of a team working on the Overcomer, an assistive device that helps children with physical disabilities have a more inclusive playground experience.