Biomechanics and Biomaterials: From Cells to Organisms

Life finds a way, to quote Jurassic Park, and understanding how life does things can help us not only better understand it, but also better build, heal, and design our own living systems. This course focuses on the intersection of mechanics, materials science, and biology and focuses on two themes. (1) We use special engineering principles from different disciplines to understand how mechanics and material properties enable cells to make everything from beating hearts to velociraptors. (2) We apply this knowledge to learn how to design new biomedical devices and biomaterials while considering regulatory and bioethics guidelines.