About the Department of Biomedical Engineering
Prepare to design cutting-edge biotechnologies, create new medical devices, and use computational methods to improve human health.
What is Biomedical Engineering?
Biomedical Engineering (BME) is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g. diagnostic or therapeutic). This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine, combining the design and problem-solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to advance healthcare treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. Biomedical engineering has only recently emerged as its own study, compared to many other engineering fields. Such an evolution is common as a new field transitions from being an interdisciplinary specialization among already-established fields, to being considered a field in itself. Much of the work in biomedical engineering consists of research and development, spanning a broad array of subfields (see below). Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceutical drugs, and therapeutic biologicals.
Biomedical engineering is a growing discipline with broad potential job prospects, fast job growth, a high median income, and excellent quality of life. At Ole Miss, we are preparing students through a rigorous and interactive curriculum to meet the growing demand for biomedical engineers worldwide.
Message from the Chair
Welcome!
The University of Mississippi’s Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), established July 1, 2019, has three broad and challenging interdisciplinary tracks to choose from: Biomolecular Engineering, Biomedical Devices Engineering, and Bioinformatics. These tracks are supported by a talented Biomedical Engineering faculty with expertise spanning each focus area. While we always think it is an exciting time to be an engineer at the University of Mississippi, with the addition of the new BME Department, we will be capitalizing on existing Ole Miss Strengths; established and respected departments in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, a top-tier engineering school, a nationally-recognized university research hospital and medical school in Jackson, and all of this uniquely accessed within a liberal arts institution.
Please feel to contact us for more information and to set up a visit.
Dwight Ernest Waddell
Chair and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Center for Diagnostics, Design, Devices, and Biomechanics
Biomedical Engineering Faculty
Dwight Waddell
- Chair and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Center for Diagnostics, Design, Devices, and Biomechanics
Glenn Walker
- Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering
Yi Hua
- Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Nikki Reinemann
- Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
Thomas Werfel
- Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Affiliate Associate Professor of Biomolecular Sciences and Co-Director the Center for Nano-Bio Interactions
MIRELA Ovreiu
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Troy Drewry
- Professor of Practice in Biomedical Engineering
Adam Smith
- Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Co-Director for the Center for Nano-Bio Interactions and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
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