Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

the people behind the microscope

Empowering our future leaders by welcoming, embracing, and gaining knowledge from the diverse individuals in our community. In our offices, labs, and classrooms, we are strong advocates of utilizing diversity initiatives and fostering the achievements of every person.

Leadership Effort

Karen Christman, Ph.D.Professor of Bioengineering

Brian AguadoAssistant Professor of Bioengineering

A 6-step Roadmap to Diversify Faculty Hiring in Biomedical Engineering

Researchers from 16 top engineering programs in the nation, including bioengineering professors Karen Christman and Brian Aguado at the University of California San Diego, have established a roadmap for hiring diverse faculty members into biomedical engineering departments.

Program Highlight

Robert Sah, M.D., Ph.D.Professor of Bioengineering
Roberto Gaetani, Ph.D.Research Scientist, Bioengineering
Doug GurevitchDepartment Facility & Building Manager Research & Development Engineer
(left to right)

COSMOS Program Participation | Jacobs School of Engineering

CLUSTER 8: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Instructors: Robert Sah, M.D., Ph.D. , Professor of BioengineeringRoberto Gaetani, Ph.D., Research Scientist, BioengineeringDoug Gurevitch, Laboratory Safety, Tissue Engineering

Course Description:

Tissue Engineering (TE) and Regenerative Medicine (RM) both seek to harness the power of biology and chemistry with the precision of engineering to restore, maintain, or improve tissue functions. TE seeks to do so through the application of engineering and life sciences to develop biological substitutes, whereas RM targets therapies to induce regeneration of cells, tissues, and organs. TE-RM are exciting and interdisciplinary fields involving engineers, biologists, chemists, material scientists, and doctors. TE-RM are increasingly providing alternative treatments for medical conditions where traditional treatments such as drugs, medical devices, or transplants have limitations. TE-RM products are rapidly evolving from potent molecules and materials to induce regeneration, to isolated cells to reconstitute damaged tissue, culture-expanded cells to repair damaged knees, modified cells to combat cancer, and formed tissues for drug screening, for engineered skin to treat wounds and burns, and for replacement tissues and organs.

COSMOS Program

COSMOS aims to inspire the brightest young minds in the upcoming generation of potential scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who will emerge as tomorrow's leaders for California, the nation, and beyond. The initiative seeks to form a community of students engaged in and adding value to a rigorous academic program led by renowned educators and scholars.

Program goals:

To engage talented students in high-level teaching and learning;

To establish a community of scholars that fosters analytical thinking and experimentation;

To connect students to institutions of higher learning and research facilities;

To develop models for excellence in science and mathematics education; and

To ensure that the COSMOS student body reflects California's geographic, economic, and cultural diversity.

(student participant newsletter)

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Research Focus

Ben Smarr, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute

Smarr Lab Research

Women Produce Skin Temperature Data that are Just as Predictable as Men

The finding shows that women should not be excluded from clinical studies because of variations in physiological signals due to menstrual cycles.

The team chose to track skin temperature because it’s essentially a way to monitor the state of a person’s endocrine system, said Ben Smarr, the paper’s corresponding author and a professor in the Shu Chien Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering and the Halicioglu Data Science Institute at the University of California San Diego. Temperature has been tied to hormonal changes, daily rhythms and women’s health states by previous research.

Student Perspective

Using Light to Improve Medical Diagnostics

Learn about Paula's research in the lab of Lisa Polikakos, Ph.D., an affiliate professor in the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering.

Transfer Student Experience

Paula Kirya, BS '23

Undergraduate Researcher

What advice would you offer current or future transfer students? What action have you taken that has most positively impacted your UC San Diego experience?

The best advice I could offer to transfer students is to get out of their comfort zone and seek out resources that would help them best (like TEAM!). A lot of us begin our transfer journey feeling rushed. For most engineering majors, however, we have three years to check out different clubs, look into summer internships, gain research experiences and meet new people.

During my first year, the pandemic prevented me from benefitting from the experiences I could gain on campus. In contrast, my second and third years have been far more eventful. I pursued several opportunities and took the time to explore my interests and see where that led me. There were hits and misses, but in this seemingly short amount of time, I joined a lab, developed critical engineering skills, presented at large conferences, and made new friends.

The action that’s most positively impacted my UC San Diego experience has definitely been joining the Poulikakos lab. Here I’ve been able to explore different projects and grow as a researcher. Now in my last year as an undergraduate student, I feel confident in my decision to pursue a graduate education.