UT Austin BME

What does it look like to train engineers to tackle real healthcare challenges before they graduate?

At the University of Texas at Austin, biomedical engineering students are already doing it 🤘

In Texas, 28% of counties don’t have a hospital. That means many communities face real barriers to getting timely diagnostic testing and care. In a course led by Dr. Nuttada Panpradist, students are rethinking how diagnostics are designed, built, and delivered, with a focus on point-of-care solutions for rural and global settings.

The course wraps with a poster symposium where students present their ideas and prototypes to faculty, peers, and collaborators across campus. The projects focus on infectious diseases that directly impact Texas communities and beyond.

These engineers are developing practical, human-centered solutions that could bring testing closer to patients, reduce care delays, and improve outcomes in underserved areas. Hook ‘em! 🤘

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us during this year’s 40 for Forty campaign! Because of your generosity, undergraduate biomedical engineering students will continue to have access to meaningful, hands‑on research opportunities.

Your gifts of $3,666 directly support BME’s Undergraduate Research Endowment, helping fund lab supplies, professional development, and travel for students pursuing independent research, experiences that prepare them for success in industry, graduate school, and medical school.

This campaign is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when our alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends come together to invest in the next generation of biomedical engineers.

From all of us in the Department of Biomedical Engineering: thank you for believing in our students and their work. Your support makes a lasting impact 🤘

BME’s 40 for Forty campaign is live today, April 30, until 10 p.m., and we’re inviting our community to help support undergraduate research in biomedical engineering 🤘

This campaign directly supports BME’s Undergraduate Research Endowment. Your support helps train the next generation of biomedical engineers by funding essential supplies, professional development, and travel opportunities, experiences that help students stand out whether they’re headed to industry, graduate school, or medical school.

How your gift helps:
$25 covers basic lab supplies
$50 provides access to advanced software or databases
$100 supports specialized lab or technical equipment
$500 funds conference travel or specialized training

Make your gift today: https://www.givecampus.com/s/7vr141

Every contribution, at any level, makes a difference. Please consider giving and sharing with your network to help support BME undergraduate researchers today.

Save the Date! 🤘

40 for Forty, The University of Texas at Austin’s annual university-wide day of giving, is coming up April 29–30.

At Texas BME, we know that undergraduate independent research opens doors long after graduation. This year, we’re calling on our community of alumni, friends and partners to help sustain the next generation of biomedical engineers.

Your support funds students with bold ideas—providing the materials, tools, professional development and conference travel they need to test concepts, analyze data, and bring their innovations to life over the course of an academic year.

Stay tuned for more details on how you can make an impact.

Horns up for six UT Austin BME students who received fellowships through the esteemed National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program 🤘

This year's recipients include Jess Cutrufello, Mrigayu Ghosh, Rita Tsapatsis, Sowon Kang, Tatum Eades and Zeynep Korkmaz.

The NSF GRFP is a prestigious fellowship that recognizes and supports early-career STEM graduate students with strong potential to become leaders in scientific research and innovation. Learn more about the program here: https://www.nsfgrfp.org/about.html.

Congratulations, Texas Engineers!

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin invites you to the Forty Acres on Thursday, April 16th, to celebrate the outstanding career of BME professor and former founding chairman Ken Diller.

A seminar will be hosted from 3-5 pm in the Mulva Auditorium located in the Engineering Education and Research Center. Several speakers will be present, sharing their memories with Professor Diller. He will also join the panel of speakers to share personal comments from his career and experience.

We hope to see you there!

Learn more about Ken Diller: https://bme.utexas.edu/person/kenneth-diller/

CHAIR FEATURE 🌟 Tyrone Porter, BME department chair and professor!

Porter has led our department since 2022. He came to UT in 2020 from Boston University.

"I am proud to be a biomedical engineer because I get to learn something new every week. The body is a collection of systems, ranging from the cardiovascular system to the nervous system, and each system is governed by its own set of factors. However, they must work in harmony for healthy function and protection from infection and disease.

"Some may view the breadth of the discipline as a weakness but in my opinion it is a strength because it provides endless opportunities for people to learn and to invent for the benefit of healthcare and quality of life.

Fun fact about myself...I'm a bit of a daredevil (been skydiving, SCUBA diving, and skiing/snowboarding), which fits being a researcher because it requires taking risks and mapping new scientific terrain."

If you see him around campus, say hi!

This Valentine's season, we ❤️ BME professor Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernández and her work to improve heart health.

Her startup Rhythio Medical has received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for a new technology that could make it easier and less invasive to treat irregular heartbeats.

Their injectable hydrogel-based technology helps doctors deliver electrical therapy to the heart with greater precision. It has the potential to improve treatment for cardiac arrhythmias while reducing the need for more invasive procedures, a promising step toward safer cardiac care.

Learn more: https://cockrell.utexas.edu/news/heart-rhythm-treatment-gets-breakthrough-fda-designation/

Soldering. How hard could it be? 🔥🛠️😅

For Gabriela Nomura, 2025 Outstanding Scholar Leader in Biomedical Engineering, building a medical device for a group project brought unexpected challenges. When soldering proved tougher than expected (and came with some burnt fingers), she learned a valuable lesson about speaking up.

Read Gabriela’s story and more Fail Tales, including an entry from Dean Bonnecaze, in the latest Texas Engineer magazine!

📰 https://magazine.engr.utexas.edu/2025/fail-tales

Thank you to our friends at Medtronic for visiting campus, and to alumna Kanella Cohen, now an associate clinical specialist, for coming back to the Forty Acres to connect with our students. 💙

Happy holidays from Texas BME! Director of Administration Brittain here to say I love this department and the faculty, staff, and students who make it great. We celebrated with faculty and staff and honored Senior Events Coordinator Laura Jeffries with the 2025 BME Staff Excellence Award last week. From the founding department chair to the newest staff member, we all play a role in making sure BME continues to grow and thrive. We'll see you in the new year!