A Columbia Engineering student in a lab coat inspects a test tube in the Obermeyer Lab

Medicine & Health

From developing the X-ray to pioneering the mass production of antibiotics, Columbia Engineering has made landmark discoveries to transform medicine and healthcare. Today, we continue to lead the field in innovations that protect and prolong human health.

The Dawn of a New Era in Medicine

The global average life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900, and much of it is due to rapid advances in biomedical engineering. The years ahead will likely see changes just as significant, as innovations in areas ranging from genomics to nanotechnology are enabling more personalized and precise treatments and therapies that will transform health outcomes for individuals and whole populations.

As this new era unfolds, Columbia Engineering is at the forefront of cross-disciplinary research and discovery. Keep reading to discover the contributions we are already making and how we envision contributing to a healthier humanity.

Ask Us Anything: Christine Hendon Highlights

Christine Hendon is an associate professor within the Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University and the chair of the PT admissions committee within the school of engineering. In her work she develops biomedical optics technologies to guide interventional procedures and provide insights into the structure-function relationship of biological normal, diseased, and treated tissues.

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Related Faculty

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Sam Sia

Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Vice Provost for the Fourth Purpose and Strategic Impact

Elisa E. Konofagou

Robert and Margaret Hariri Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Radiology (Physics); Professor of Neurological Surgery

Jingyue Ju

Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Engineering; Professor of Chemical Engineering and Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Matei Ciocarlie

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Santiago Correa

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic

University Professor; Mikati Foundation Professor Of Biomedical Engineering And Medical Sciences; Professor Of Dental Medicine

Nima Mesgarani

Associate Professor Of Electrical Engineering

Grace McIlvain

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Assistant Professor of Radiology (Physics)

Allie Obermeyer

Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering

Dimitris Anastassiou

Charles Batchelor Professor of Electrical Engineering and Professor of Systems Biology

Jeffrey W. Kysar

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Karen E. Kasza

Karen E. Kasza

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Ke Cheng

Alan L. Kaganov Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Kam W. Leong

Samuel Y. Sheng Professor of Biomedical Engineering (in Systems Biology)

Ben O'Shaughnessy

Professor of Chemical Engineering

Dion Khodagholy

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering

Bjarne Stroustrup

Professor of Computer Science

Qiao Lin

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Renata M. Wentzcovitch

Professor of Materials Science and Applied Physics; Professor of Earth and Environmental Science

Lance C. Kam

Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Medical Sciences (in Medicine)

Elizabeth M. C. Hillman

Herbert and Florence Irving Professor at the Zuckerman Institute; Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Radiology (Physics)

Stavros Thomopoulos

Robert E. Carroll and Jane Chace Carroll Professor; Professor of Biomechanics (in Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering); Director of Carroll Laboratories for Orthopedic Surgery; Vice Chair of Basic Research in Orthopedic Surgery

Lauren Heckelman

Lecturer in the Discipline of Biomedical Engineering

Helen H. Lu

Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Dental and Craniofacial Engineering (in Dental Medicine); Senior Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs and Advancement

Vijay Vedula

Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering

Barclay Morrison III

Vice Dean of Academic Programs

Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi

Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Computer Science

Elizabeth Olson

Co-Director of the Masters Program in Biomedical Engineering

Mijo Simunovic

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering

Kristin M. Myers

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Scott Banta

Scott Banta

Professor of Chemical Engineering; Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering

Paul Sajda

Paul Sajda

Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Radiology (Physics); Professor of Electrical Engineering; Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Elham Azizi

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Cancer Data Research

Gerard A. Ateshian

Andrew Walz Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Joshua Jacobs

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Associate Professor of Neurological Sciences (in Neurological Surgery)

Richard Zemel

Trianthe Dakolias Professor of Engineering and Applied Science; Professor of Computer Science

Treena Arinzeh

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Tal Danino

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

David A Knowles

Assistant Professor of Computer Science; Interdisciplinary Appointee in Systems Biology; Core Faculty Member, New York Genome Center

José L. McFaline-Figueroa

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Clark T. Hung

Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Orthopedic Sciences (in Orthopedic Surgery)

Christine P. Hendon

Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering; Vice Dean of Diversity and Strategic Partnerships; Provost's Senior Faculty Teaching Scholar

Qi Wang

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Gerard Karsenty

Paul A. Marks Professor of Genetics and Development and Professor of Medicine and of Biomedical Engineering

X. Edward Guo

Stanley Dicker Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Medical Sciences (in Medicine); Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering

J. Thomas "Tommy" Vaughan, Jr.

Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Radiology (Physics)

P. James Schuck

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Itsik Pe'er

Professor of Computer Science and Systems Biology

Aurel A. Lazar

Professor of Electrical Engineering

Gil Zussman

Professor of Electrical Engineering; Academic Director of Electrical Engineering MS Programs; Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering

Ken Shepard

Lau Family Professor of Electrical Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Milan Stojanovic

Professor of Medical Science (in medicine) and Biomedical Engineering

Luis Gravano

Professor of Computer Science

Sinisa Vukelic

Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Mechanics Laser Processing Characterization in the Department of Mechanical Engineering

Henry Hess

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Andrew Laine

Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Radiology (Physics)

Nandan Nerurkar

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Megan Heenan

Lecturer in the Discipline of Biomedical Engineering

Yasmine El-Shamayleh

Assistant Professor of Neuroscience

Nuttida Rungratsameetaweemana

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Sunil K. Agrawal

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine

Parisa Yousefpour

Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Leadership Advantages

Thanks to a powerful nexus of researchers, advanced facilities, and strategic partnerships, Columbia Engineering is uniquely positioned to lead innovation in biomedicine and health. Learn more about our competitive advantages.

Multidisciplinary Depth

Our seven departments combine specialized knowledge from fields as diverse as chemical engineering and computer science to address complex challenges related to human health.

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Students manipulate robotic arms

Robust Ongoing Research

Faculty-led research teams focus on imaging, biosignals, tissue engineering, brain-machine interfaces, nanobiotechnology, biomechanics, protein engineering, cancer, and medical devices.

News on Health & Medicine Research
A researcher compares two petri dishes with biological samples at Columbia Engineering.

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

We excel at translating lab discoveries into real-world solutions and startups. At Columbia Engineering, we foster entrepreneurship through training, mentoring, funding, and support.

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Bobolink AI, Nicole Pochinki (Graduate Student, Teachers College 2024)

The Blavatnik Fund for Engineering Innovations in Health

The Blavatnik Fund for Engineering Innovations in Health plays a key role supporting Columbia Engineering’s mission to build a healthier world.

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The Blavatnik Fund sponsored research on nanomaterials to treat obesity.
The Blavatnik Fund recently sponsored research on positively charged nanomaterials that treat obesity anywhere you want.

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