A major theme of the conference was the application of engineering principles and data analysis techniques to a wide range of underaddressed problems in women’s health. 

“Our field can learn from other areas of engineering, such as automotive and aerospace, that already use physics- and data-driven digital twins and models to accelerate product design and solutions,” said co-organizer Kristin Myers, a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia Engineering. “Women’s health challenges mirror a lot of the major outstanding challenges in health more generally, such as designing sensors and monitors that fit a patient’s need while conveying actionable information to a medical provider.”

The daylong event featured keynotes from Silvia Blemker, professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia; Steven Levine, the senior director of virtual human modeling at Dassault Systèmes; and Sandra Brown, the dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health, Southern University and A&M College. The expert panels covered gynecologic health, preterm/pregnancy health, pelvic floor health, commercialization and the regulatory path, and education and workforce.

Lead Photo Caption: Christine Hendon, associate professor of electrical engineering, who develops innovative imaging technologies to study human tissue and disease.

Lead Photo Credit: David Dini/Columbia Engineering