Courses

Graduate Courses in Biomedical Engineering

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*Course schedule is subject to change without notice. Please use Registrar Class Search Tool for most current information.

BIM 201: Scientific Communication for Biomedical Engineers

Course is designed to improve the written and oral communication skills of first-year graduate students through writing fellowship proposals, analyzing data, and critically reviewing research papers.

Units: 1
Instructor: TBD
Next Offered*: Fall 2025

BIM 202: Cell and Molecular Biology for Engineers

Preparation for research and critical review in the field of cell and molecular biology for biomedical or applied science engineers. Emphasis on biophysical and engineering concepts intrinsic to specific topics including protein traffic, the cytoskeleton, cell motility, cell division, and cell adhesion. Modern topics in mechano-biology of cancer cells and stem cells.

Units: 4
Instructor: Yamada
Next Offered*: Fall 2025

BIM 204: Physiology for Bioengineers

Basic human physiology of the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, lymphatic, renal and gastrointestinal systems and their interactions. Emphasis is placed on the physical and engineering principles governing these systems, including control and transport processes, fluid dynamics, and electrochemistry.

Units: 5
Instructor: Ripplinger/Zheng
Next Offered*: Fall 2025

BIM 208Y: Towards Well-Being

Mental health issues, key elements in collaboration and team science, and select coping skills to deal with common graduate school stressors. Self-efficacy, resilience, problem-solving, conflict resolution, self-compassion, and role of psychosocial factors in well-being. Wellness topics in art therapy, interaction with nature, soothing sound/music, cooking, and walking. Mind-body activities. Extensive small group discussion.

Units: 2
Instructor: Louie
Next Offered*: Spring 2027

BIM 209: Scientific Integrity for Biomedical Engineers

Scientific integrity and ethics for biomedical engineers, with emphasis and discussion on mentoring, authorship and peer review, use of humans and animals in biomedical research, conflict of interest, intellectual property, genetic technology and scientific record keeping.

Units: 2
Instructor: Sutcliffe
Next Offered*: Spring 2026

BIM 210: Introduction to Biomaterials

Mechanical and atomic properties of metallic, ceramic, and polymeric of implant materials; corrosion, degradation, and failure of implants; inflammation, wound and fracture healing, blood coagulation; properties of bones, joints, and blood vessels; biocompatibility of orthopedic and cardiovascular materials. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Leach
Next Offered*: Winter 2027

BIM 217: Mechanobiology

Principles by which biomechanical forces affect cell and tissue function to impact human health and disease. Emphasis on cardiovascular system: structure and function, biofluid mechanics and mechanotransduction, disease mechanisms and research methods. Cartilage, bone and other systems; current topics discussed. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Passerini
Next Offered*: Spring 2027

BIM 228: Skeletal Muscle Mechanics: Form, Function, Adaptability

Form, Function, Adaptability Basic structure and function of skeletal muscle is examined at the microscopic and macroscopic level. Muscle adaptation in response to aging, disease, injury, exercise, and disuse. Analytic models of muscle function are discussed. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Smith
Next Offered*: Fall 2027

BIM 233: Soft Tissue Mechanics

Presentation of structure and function of musculoskeletal soft tissues: cartilage, tendon, ligament, meniscus, and intervertebral disc. Instruction in engineering principals governing the mechanical behavior of these tissues: viscoelasticity, quasilinear viscoelasticity, and biphasic theory. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Christiansen
Next Offered*: Spring 2027

BIM 239: Advanced Finite Elements and Optimization

Introduction to advanced finite elements and design optimization methods, with application to modeling of complex mechanical, aerospace and biomedical systems. Application of states of the art in finite elements in optimum design of components under realistic loading conditions and constraints. Offered in alternate years. Same course as MAE 239.

Units: 4
Instructor: Sarigul-Klijn
Next Offered*: Winter 2025

BIM 240: Computational Methods in Nonlinear Mechanics

Deformation of the solids and the motion of fluids are treated with state-of-the-art computational methods. Numerical treatment of nonlinear dynamics; classification of coupled problems; applications of finite element methods to mechanical, aeronautical, and biological systems. Offered in alternate years. Same course as MAE 240.

Units: 4
Instructor: Sarigul-Klijn
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 241: Introduction to Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Introduction to equipment, methods, medical applications of MRI. Lectures review basic, advanced pulse sequences, image reconstruction, display and technology and how these are applied clinically. Offered in alternate years

Units: 4
Instructor: Fan
Next Offered*: Winter 2027

BIM 242: Introduction to Biomedical Imaging

Basic physics and engineering principles of image science. Emphasis on ionizing and nonionizing radiation production and interactions with the body and detectors. Major imaging systems: radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound, and optical microscopy.

Units: 4
Instructor: Hernandez
Next Offered*: Fall 2025

BIM 243: Radiation Detectors for Biomedical Applications

Radiation detectors and sensors used for biomedical applications. Emphasis on radiation interactions, detection, measurement and use of radiation sensors for imaging. Operating principles of gas, semiconductor, and scintillation detectors. Two parts, offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Kwon
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 246: Magnetic Resonance Technology

Covers MRI technology at an advanced level with emphasis on mathematical descriptions and problem solving. Topics include spin dynamics, signal generation, image reconstruction, pulse sequences, biophysical basis of T1, T2, RF, gradient coil design, signal to noise, image artifacts.

Units: 3
Instructor: Godinez
Next Offered*: Spring 2026

BIM 248: Multi-modal Neuroimaging Techniques

Neuroimaging techniques including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) and their multi-modal applications in neuroscience and neurological disorders. Imaging methods and brain biomarkers. Software and coding experience to analyze imaging datasets of brain structure, function, and pathology. Offered in alternate years

Units: 4
Instructor: Fan
Next Offered*: Winter 2028

BIM 252: Computational Methods in Biomedical Imaging

Analytic tomographic reconstruction from projections in 2D and 3D; model-based image reconstruction methods; maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods; applications to CT, PET, and SPECT. Same course at EEC 205.

Units: 4
Instructor: Qi
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 254: Statistical Methods in Genomics

Statistical approaches to problems in computational molecular biology and genomics; formulation of questions via probabilistic modeling, statistical inference methods for parameter estimation, and interpretation of results to address biological questions; application to high-impact problems in functional genomics and molecular biology.

Units: 4
Instructor: Aviran
Next Offered*: Fall 2026

BIM 257: Fundamentals of Tissue Optics and Biomedical Applications

Fundamentals of optical properties of tissue. Range of optical technologies and their applications to tissue characterization and diagnostics.

Units: 5
Instructor: Marcu & Zawadzki
Next Offered*: Spring 2026

BIM 258: Advanced Biophotonics and Bioimaging

Quantitative basis for biophotonics and bioimaging, with an emphasis on the physical and mathematical description of optics, light propagation, and light-tissue interactions. Advantages and limitations of various optical imaging and sensing technologies. Illustrative applications in diagnostics, basic research, and therapy. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Zawadzki
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 260: Techniques in Molecular & Cellular Mechanics

Physical techniques used to visualize and manipulate mechanical processes in cells. Biophysical techniques used to characterize cellular and molecular mechanics, with a particular emphasis on single molecule technologies.

Units: 4
Instructor: Sivasankar
Next Offered*: Fall 2025

BIM 262: Cell and Molecular Biophysics for Bioengineers

Introduction to fundamental mechanisms governing the structure, function, and assembly of bio-macromolecules. Emphasis is on a quantitative understanding of the nano-to-microscale interactions between and within individual molecules, as well as of their assemblies, in particular membranes.

Units: 4
Instructor: Heinrich
Next Offered*: Spring 2027

BIM 263: Optical Microscopy Hands-On

Informed use of an optical research microscope. Analysis of digitized images. Optical image formation and its limitations. Laboratories on modern microscope usage and videomicroscopy techniques including optimization of recorded images and quantification of microscopic distances and displacements. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Heinrich
Next Offered*: Spring 2026

BIM 264: Synthetic and Systems Engineering of Cells

Introduction to the design, engineering, and control of biological systems for biotechnological applications and biological studies. Offered in alternate years.

Units: 4
Instructor: Tan
Next Offered*: Fall 2026

BIM 280: Neural Signals & Machine Learning Tools for Neural Data

Select and use machine learning tools to analyze neural data. Knowledge of the definitions and fundamental principles of data analytics related to neural data including field potentials (EEG, iEEG, local field potentials, EMG) and single neuron or muscle action potentials. Neural decoding/encoding, how to apply classifiers, regression and dimension reduction techniques, factor analysis and dynamic modeling.

Units: 4
Instructor: Moxon
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 281: Acquisition and Analysis of Biomedical Signals

Basic concepts of digital signal recording and analysis; sampling; empirical modeling; Fourier analysis, random, and spectral analysis applied to biomedical signals.

Units: 4
Instructor: Zawadzki & Jonnal
Next Offered*: Spring 2026

BIM 283: Advanced Design of Experiments for Biomedical Engineers

Provides biomedical engineering graduate students with the tools to properly design experiments, collect and analyze data, and extract, communicate and act on information generated. Not open for credit to students who have taken EBS 265.

Units: 4
Instructor: Rocke
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 284: Mathematical Methods for Biomedical Engineers

Theoretical and numerical analyses of linear and nonlinear systems, ordinary and partial differential equations that describe biological systems and instruments that measure them. Students will be introduced to numerical solution techniques.

Units: 4
Instructor: Duan
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 286: Nuclear Imaging in Medicine and Biology

Radioactive decay, interaction of radiation with matter, radionuclide production, radiation detection, digital autoradiography, gamma camera imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography and applications of these techniques in biology and medicine.

Units: 4
Instructor: Roncali
Next Offered*: Winter 2027

BIM 288: Living Matter: Physical Biology of the Cell

Introduction to the origin, maintenance, and regulation of the dynamic architecture of the cell, including cellular modes of organization, dynamics and energy dissipation, molecular transport, motility, regulation, and adaptability. Same course as EMS 288 and BPH 288.

Units: 3
Instructor: Parikh
Next Offered*: Winter 2026

BIM 289 A-E: Selected topics

BIM 290: Graduate Seminar in Biomedical Engineering

Units: 1

BIM 290 C: Graduate Research Conference

Units: 1

BIM 295: Literature in Neuroengineering

Critical presentation and discussion of current literature in neuroengineering. Same course as NSC 295.

Units: 2
Instructor: Pedersen, Ditterich
Next Offered*: Fall 2025

BIM 299: Graduate Research

Units: 1-12

BIM 396: Teaching Assistant Training Practicum

Units: 1-4