Our History

EMBS Through the Years

In 1952, a group of electronics engineers, members of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), established an organization within the IRE to consider “problems in biology and medicine which might be aided in solution by use of electronic engineering principles and devices.” This Professional Group on Medical Electronics, as it was called, grew steadily and expanded its area of interest.

In 1963, the IRE and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) merged to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the IRE Professional Group on Medical Electronics merged with the AIEE Committee on Electrical Techniques in Medicine and Biology to create the current IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

In the years since, EMBS has grown into the largest international, member-based society of biomedical engineers and has made—through its meetings, publications and other activities—invaluable contributions to the advancement of biomedical and healthcare engineering.

Ultrasound monitor in medical facility
IEEE EMBS 70 Years Graphic

Charting the Milestones of Biomedical Engineering, 1952-2022