UC Berkeley Department of Bioengineering

Congratulations Dan Fletcher!

Dan Fletcher, professor of the UC Berkeley Department of Bioengineering, is among the 100 new members elected to the National Academy of Medicine!

He is recognized for the development of mobile phone-based microscopy to diagnose infectious diseases in developing countries, and for contributions to the mechanistic understanding of biological self-assembly and mechanotransduction.

Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

Learn more: bit.ly/4qpTYt6

(Photo © Noah Berger)

Congratulations 2024 Bioengineering graduates!!

Today is Commencement for our MEng, MTM and BS graduates! Have a fantastic day - we're so proud of you! #BEgrad24

BIG THANK YOU to everyone who made this our best Big Give ever! You are all our shining stars.

Big Give is here! Your donation helps provide our students with summer research, seminars, lab upgrades, career planning, and so much more! Make a gift and spread the word!
https://bit.ly/BioEBG24
, Berkeley Engineering

Your donation helps provide our students with summer research, seminars, lab upgrades, career planning, and so much more! Help us meet our $25k match by making a donation of any size today! https://bit.ly/BioEBG24
Berkeley Engineering

Big Give is here! Today a generous anonymous donor will give $1,000 for every gift - of any size - donated to Bioengineering, up to $25,000!! Make a gift and spread the word! https://bit.ly/BioEBG24
Berkeley Engineering

“When I learned about the Master of Translational Medicine (MTM) program, I had only just started down my desired career path: to become a ‘Doctorpreneur.’

I decided that to make an impact beyond clinical practice, completing this program before medical school would equip me with both a deeper understanding of the innovation landscape across health systems and an expanded repertoire of technical skills.

The program’s cutting-edge coursework and world-class mentorship expanded my understanding of all the components—from intellectual property to regulatory strategy—required to bring new ideas to fruition in the healthcare industry. I knew that I didn’t just want to practice medicine, but rather help improve patient care on a larger scale.

My capstone project involved prototyping and patenting the Lamprey: an atraumatic—or causing minimal tissue injury—suction-based laparoscopic grasper that would reduce surgical complications and cut costs.

Between my multidisciplinary cohort and our distinguished professors and mentors across both the UC Berkeley and UCSF campuses, I found myself more excited, inspired, and motivated every day!”

—Michael R. Velez (MTM’17)

More community profiles: bit.ly/3ifpSXy

We're so proud of you, Denise!

“I’m currently a fourth-year student in the Management, Entrepreneurship and Technology (M.E.T.) program, studying both bioengineering and business administration.

As I reflect on my experiences thus far, I feel confident in saying that I would choose Berkeley again. Specifically, Berkeley Engineering has provided me with immense opportunities as well as continuous support and access to unlimited resources. From the beginning, the college welcomed me and made sure I was prepared for the challenges of Berkeley courses.

I’ve had opportunities that I didn’t even imagine in my trajectory. For example, as a first-generation college student, I didn’t know what research entailed, nor had I been inside a lab, yet the summer right after freshman year, I was working in Professor Aaron Streets’s lab on exciting projects.

Since that summer, I’ve had the honor of being a part of the Streets Lab team. Such a supportive environment has motivated me to pursue my goals, be unafraid of challenges and be willing to step outside of my comfort zone.

Berkeley Engineering emphasizes that the ability to create change as engineers extends beyond the United States.

I participated in the GLOBE program, which offered me the lifetime opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia and learn about the vast ways that I, as an engineer, can create impact abroad. I learned about Saudi culture and its current project initiatives. I also got to meet Berkeley alumni who are passionate about providing guidance and being a resource for me throughout my journey.

These are only some of the opportunities that I have been able to participate in, and that have allowed me to enhance my skills and enrich my knowledge. Without a doubt, such experiences are possible thanks to the Berkeley Engineering program and faculty.

Personally, there’s never been a moment throughout my time at Cal where I have felt alone. Whether it’s a classmate, mentor, faculty member, professor or program, I know that I have a team of individuals who care about me.

I feel honored to be a part of such a great community! Go Bears!”

—Denise Robles (B.S.’24 BioE/Business)

More community profiles: bit.ly/3ifpSXy

BIG THANK YOU to everyone who participated in Big Give! You are all our shining stars.

Last chance to Give Big for BioE! One parting thought from a dedicated staff member:
“BioE is a special place. I have the pleasure of working with current undergrads as well as prospective students. Bioengineering believes in a culture where students are able to explore and grow both academically and personally, collaborate with others, and solve modern day problems with creative and sustainable solutions. I love seeing students discover and work towards their passion, and feel incredibly honored to be a part of their experiences.” - Marisela L., Undergraduate Affairs

https://givingday.berkeley.edu/giving-day/60202/department/60392

“Berkeley Bioengineering has helped me shine brighter by surrounding me with an incredibly bright, ambitious community. I've been at 3 jobs since graduating, and have connected/ re-connected with BioE grads in all of them. It's been an amazing opportunity to work with talented folk who are also great people”. - Eric Jabart, PhD BioE 2013

https://givingday.berkeley.edu/giving-day/60202/department/60392