BME 6420

Biomedical Engineering for Women’s Health

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Biomedical engineering can address urgent, long-neglected challenges in women’s health, but effective design requires deliberate consideration of female-specific tissue mechanics and physiology. Failure to account for female health in engineering limits innovation and has contributed to product failures, including pelvic organ prolapse mesh devices, vaginal rings, hip implants, and cardiovascular stents. This course will (i) define female-specific mechanical and physiological considerations for effective engineering design, (ii) examine historical and contemporary examples of both successful and flawed engineering in women’s health, and (iii) identify current limitations, knowledge gaps, and open engineering challenges in the field. The central role of mechanics in tissue function and disease will be emphasized throughout the course. Lectures will present foundational material for students from diverse academic backgrounds and include interactive discussion of readings, problem sets, and engineering case studies. Term projects will provide students an opportunity to design healthcare solutions (undergraduate students) or research proposals (graduate students) that address critical gaps in women’s health.

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Explain how biomedical engineering addresses challenges in women’s health using historical and contemporary examples.
• Analyze female-specific tissue mechanics and physiology relevant to engineering design.
• Examine the regulatory, ethical, and market considerations influencing clinical translation of women’s health engineering innovations.
• Design innovations or research proposals that address critical gaps in women’s healthcare.

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