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At GW, the approach of the
new millennium brought a sense of urgency to efforts that
had been underway to engage in university-wide strategic
planning. It was clear that an increasingly global, technologically
driven, knowledge-based society would open many doors
to exciting research and educational endeavors. It was
also clear that reaching our best potential for making
significant contributions in the 21st century would require
that we focus our energy and resources on those areas
in which we had the greatest potential.
Through a competitive process in which programs were evaluated
based on established criteria, seven areas of academic
excellence were selected for further investment by the
University.Biomedical engineering was one of the seven
areas selected based on the existing strength of the faculty,
the program's ability to leverage the assets of the University
and the Washington metropolitan area, and the relevance
of the field to issues of international importance.
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We are confident that additional
investment in the program will help build our reputation
as a preeminent university that enriches our global society
through education and research.
GW is proud to support the Institute for Biomedical Engineering
as one of the University's seven signature programs, and
we look forward to the many contributions it will make
to the education of our students and the quality of medical
treatment in our society. |
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Donald
Lehman, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs |
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Recognizing
the important role that biomedical engineering plays
in enhancing the quality of health-care and reducing
its cost, GW's School of Engineering and Applied
Science (SEAS) teamed up with the University's School
of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) in 2004 to
create and foster the GW Institute for Biomedical
Engineering (IBE).
The IBE is a natural area of collaboration between
our schools, because both schools already have significant
activities in bio-related research. In fact, the
University recognized this reputation and potential
when it selected the IBE as one of only seven areas
of strategic academic excellence from across the
University. In concrete terms, this means that GW
will provide additional |
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investment
for the Institute and its growth. This collaboration
between SEAS and SMHS is our latest initiative in
a line of collaborative projects and research. It
is an interdisciplinary effort involving the faculty
from many departments within SEAS and SMHS, and
it cuts across departmental and school boundaries
to leverage our existing strengths and develop new
strengths. SEAS is proud to contribute to the vital
and noble task of helping to improve health-care
both here at home and worldwide, and we have great
expectations for the IBE and its faculty and researchers.
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Timothy W. Tong, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Science
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We see the
Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBE) as a dynamic collaboration
between two of the strongest schools in The George Washington
University. This group must meet a great challenge in developing
new and innovative technologies for diagnosis, monitoring and
treatment therapies. In addition, this institute has the potential
to transform existing technologies into more effective and accessible
formats. The IBE has the complete
support of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and
my confidence that this will be a source of great pride and
productivity for the university. The technologies developed
by the IBE will enhance the care of our patients and the health
of our community and the world at large. |
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Jim Scott, M.D.
Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences
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| Biomedicalengineering
(BME) is the application of engineering principles
to solve problems in medicine and biology. Therefore,
advances in medicine are often driven by advances
in BME. Medical advances, in turn, motivate BME
research and education. Advances in computer technology
and medical imaging (CT, MRI, Ultrasound, etc.)
have led to minimally-invasive image-guided procedures
and the use of simulation for training and surgery
planning. This has dramatically improved the patient
outcome on complex surgical procedures. Advances
in the use of computer and communication technology
have led to telemedicine in which cost-effective
quality health care is made available to remote
locations where such care was previously unavailable.
Advances in materials and
the manufacturing of artificial organs and limbs
have made iimprovements in the quality life for
many patients. |
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Neural engineering, bioinformatics, genomics, and
gene therapy have broadened the scope of BME and
are becoming ncreasingly important
in the development of new technologies for healthcare.
The recent creation of the National Institute
of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering as the
newest of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
is further evidence of the role that BME is playing
in advancing health worldwide. At GW, we enjoy a
number of unique advantages in the pursuit of a
top-notch research and educational program in BME.
We have first-rate medical and engineering schools.
We are also in one of the most active locations
for medically related activities, both for government
(e.g., NIH) and the private sector (the I-270 corridor).
The GW Board of Trustees and the Executive Vice
President for Academic Affairs have recognized the
vital role of BME and the academic excellence at
GW and have chosen GWIBE as one of only seven centers
University-wide to make major strategic investments.
The multi-disciplinary
faculty that make up GWIBE is grateful for this
opportunity and is eager to take on the leadership
role in advancing BME to the next level of academic
excellence. We intend to leverage the existing
and additional new resources by making them available
to a larger community across campus. We intend
to function as a catalyst in furthering interdisciplinary
collaboration in advanced research and innovative
undergraduate, graduate, and professional educational
programs.
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James K. Hahn, Ph.D.
Director, GW Institute for Biomedical Engineering
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The academic vision is that GW become one of the preeminent urban
research universities in the nation and the world, recognized for
its excellence in selected areas that are primarily derived from
existing programmatic strengths in teaching, scholarship, and externally-funded
research across the disciplines. The vision derives from society¡¯s
need for continuing scientific discovery, applications of technology,
and synthesis of information to create new understanding of, and
solutions to, human and societal problems
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