She Engineers

One of my favorite aspects of being a biomedical engineering student was how our discipline consists of taking information learned in others and applying it to study the human body. I had the opportunity to learn a subject by going to that department and learning it the way their students would, especially in graduate school, where we were encouraged to take classes in different departments. I took classes at the School of Nursing, the School of Medicine, and even with different departments within the School of Engineering. One thing that I learned that spanned all disciplines was there are two types of classes in academia: those you can't remember two semesters later and those that change your life. Usually the latter type of classes are made memorable by the professors that teach them. These professors are in a class of their own. They're the ones who inspire students because they themselves are inspired. They have a deep appreciation for their work and a passion for sharing it with others. A few years ago, while still in graduate school, I took one such class. It was a course on artificial intelligence (AI), and the professor was Dr. Primeaux. Dr. Primeaux's background was in both philosophy and computer science, which made his approach to teaching the theory behind AI techniques really unique. He would start with the philosophical origins of a concept, explore how it came to be about, and then would delve into the practical side of how to implement it. Recently I was shocked to find out via our local news that Dr. Primeaux had gone missing. A few days later his body was found in his truck. As far as I know his death has been ruled a suicide, but for anyone who has even known this man, this news is difficult to take. Never, in a million years, would I ever suspect him capable of such an act. I guess it just goes to show that people carry their wounds close to their hearts, and you never really know what is going on in someone else's life. Obviously he was going through something difficult, but the part that I find astonishing is that he never let it affect his ability to perform as a professor. Dr. Primeax changed my life. I will never think of intelligence the same way, or philosophy, or computer science. He was a great professor and left us before we had a chance to learn everything he had to share. He will always live within my heart as one of my favorite professors.

Recently a story about two researchers in Great Britain caught my eye. They have developed an affordable ultrasound, which will help provide prenatal care to women in the developing world.The potential for saving lives with this technology is immeasurable. People often ask me why I went into biomedical engineering. The simple truth is if you're going to spend your life working on something, what could possibly be more worthwhile than life-saving technologies?

After recent triumphs showing that implants could repair lost brain function, Martin W. Angler explores how soon we can use this technology for creating enhanced humans.

Researchers at UC Berkeley have found a potential basis for a mechanical treatment of breast cancer, as opposed to the currently available chemical treatments.