An introduction to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

This course covers basic concepts in electromagnetism and light-matter interactions of biomedical significance. Topics covered include: optical properties of biological cells, tissues and biomaterials; visible and near-infrared light absorption, scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy; advanced microscopy techniques, optical coherence tomography, vibrational spectroscopy, photoacoustic imaging, photodynamic therapy and their relevance to human disease diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

This course seeks to build a foundation of physical principles underlying neuroengineering techniques, including electrical, optical, and magnetic approaches to neural recording and stimulation. We will discuss neural recording probes and materials considerations that influence the quality of the signals and longevity of the probes in the brain. This will be accompanied by the discussion of evolution of neural probes from microwires in the 1950s, to Utah arrays in the 1980s, to modern Neuropixels, meshes, and fibers.

An introduction to transport phenomena in biological systems covering fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and mass transfer at the cellular, tissue, and organ levels. Topics include macroscopic and microscopic mathematical descriptions of physiological fluid mechanics in circulation and tissue and mass transport related to convection and diffusion in biological systems; transmembrane and transvascular transport; biochemical interactions; mass separations; and kinetics of biochemical reactions.

This course is offered to junior or senior undergraduate students and graduate students to introduce them to the field of engineered gene therapy. It covers how gene therapy works, the type of vectors used, and why/when certain vectors are employed. The course also includes how to make viral vectors and introduces some non-viral tools for gene therapy.

The Commonwealth Honors College thesis or project is intended to provide students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to define and carry out in-depth research or creative endeavors. It provides excellent preparation for students who intend to continue their education through graduate study or begin their professional careers. The student works closely with their 499Y Honors Research sponsor to pursue research on a topic or question of special interest to them in preparation for writing a 499T Honors Thesis or completing a 499P Honors Project.

The Commonwealth Honors College thesis or project is intended to provide students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to define and carry out in-depth research or creative endeavors. It provides excellent preparation for students who intend to continue their education through graduate study or begin their professional careers. The student works closely with their 499Y Honors Research sponsor to pursue research on a topic or question of special interest to them in preparation for writing a 499T Honors Thesis or completing a 499P Honors Project.

Honors Thesis expectations are high. The intended end-product is a traditional research manuscript with accompanying artifact(s), all theses: - are 6 credits or more of sustained research on a single topic, typically conducted over two semesters. - begin with creative inquiry and systematic research. - include documentation of substantive scholarly endeavor. - culminate in an oral defense or other form of public presentation. Students registering for an Honors Thesis following Honors Research (499Y) must have the approval of their faculty committee.

Honors Thesis expectations are high. The intended end-product is a traditional research manuscript with accompanying artifact(s), all theses: - are 6 credits or more of sustained research on a single topic, typically conducted over two semesters. - begin with creative inquiry and systematic research. - include documentation of substantive scholarly endeavor. - culminate in an oral defense or other form of public presentation. Students registering for an Honors Thesis following Honors Research (499Y) must have the approval of their faculty committee.

Honors Project expectations are high. The intended end-product is a traditional project manuscript with accompanying artifact(s), all projects: - are 6 credits or more of sustained research on a single topic, typically conducted over two semesters. - begin with creative inquiry and systematic research. - include documentation of substantive scholarly endeavor. - culminate in an oral defense or other form of public presentation. Students registering for an Honors Project following Honors Research (499Y) must have the approval of their faculty committee.