The world of biomedical engineering is constantly evolving, as we advance in our understanding and as priorities shift. Recently, IEEE EMBS noticed significant growth in membership in certain regions of the world, and decided to investigate what that meant for the field.
To take the pulse of the current state of biomedical engineering, we conducted a survey of members from around the world. From the responses we received, we’ve gathered together insights on several trends of note, including cross-regional and cross-disciplinary collaboration, student interests, and the direction of research.
This map reflects a significant growth of membership in areas such as South America, South Asia, and North Africa, while membership in Southeast Asia and the Pacific regions decreased.
The value of collaboration
Almost universally, EMBS members extolled the value of collaboration across regions and disciplines. “Working with peers from different areas allows us to share diverse perspectives, enhance our research quality, and tackle complex problems with a multidisciplinary approach,” said Avid Roman-Gonzalez, vice president of research at Universidad Nacional de Moquegua in Peru. “These collaborations also help us stay updated on the latest developments and methodologies in our field, ultimately enriching our work and expanding our professional network.”
Other respondents agreed, highlighting the ways that working together with peers from other countries and specializations benefitted research and other projects. Keyur Patel, cloud solution architect and healthcare consultant, discussed working with international teams to develop scalable and innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions for biomedical research. According to Patel, “This cross-regional interaction has allowed for the exchange of ideas, the adoption of best practices, and enhanced research outcomes through diverse perspectives.”
The enthusiasm for collaboration was not limited to professionals, however. One undergraduate student at the National Institute of Technology Puducherry in India expressed an eagerness to work with researchers from different specializations and regions “to expose myself to diverse challenges and limitations,” explaining that doing so “could lead us to innovative solutions.” And this enthusiasm is supported by many professors, such as Luis Jimenez Angeles of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. As he informed us, “I am keen on establishing cross-border partnerships to encourage our students to collaborate with my overseas colleagues, welcome international students to our campus, and engage in joint projects with professors from other countries who share similar research interests.”
The next generation of engineers
Insights from respondents about student interests and activities ran the gamut, making it difficult to make broad generalizations. Depending on the region, survey responses mentioned both increased and decreased enrollment. Some professors expressed concern about the performance of the students who do enroll in their classes, citing a weaker basis in foundational skills such as mathematics. At the same time, others saw increased interest in areas of study such as mathematical statistics and stochastic processes. Altogether, the picture of students pursuing biomedical engineering is as varied and diverse as the members sharing their reflections on students.
However, there was one trend that repeatedly arose. As Bozenna Pasik-Duncan of the University of Kansas told us, “Students are very interested in classes with a research-based project learning approach. They are motivated to be engaged in real world problems.” Other professors noted similar inclinations for students to participate in practical, hands-on learning experiences. According to one professor, who is also an EMBS student advisor in India, “this trend reflects a broader enthusiasm among students to engage with impactful and interdisciplinary projects.”
The direction of biomedical engineering
Unsurprisingly, one major area of interest was AI and machine learning. Survey responses spanning several distinct regions saw a growing interest in this field of study. “With the Nobel Committee acknowledging contributions in AI for biotech, I feel the field will see a large wave of growth in this decade,” explained Hari Sadasivan, staff engineer at AMD and affiliate faculty member at the University of Washington, Seattle. “The question is how quickly we can enable it. We are trying to make it happen by solving the computational bottlenecks in this domain.”
Another direction that many respondents brought up was finding ways to apply engineering to current concerns in healthcare. As one EMBS member pointed out, “Current trends are deeply involved in merging engineering with medical science to create more interconnected, patient-centered healthcare systems. Researchers are pushing the envelope with bio-sensing, machine learning, robotics, and neural technology, all aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare globally.” Others mentioned tailoring innovations to address regional healthcare or public health challenges, as well as observing heightened interest in biomedical and engineering topics that align with healthcare advancements.
Bringing biomedical engineers together
Together, these trends demonstrate that today’s biomedical engineers are highly engaged with the world around them, whether by collaborating with peers across regions and disciplines, striving to solve real-world problems, or addressing current healthcare challenges. While each region may have its own emerging patterns and tendencies (which will be explored in future posts), it is clear that there are also plenty of commonalities. With an extensive membership network that helps connect professionals around the globe and resources to help members stay abreast of the latest news and developments, EMBS is proud to play a role in supporting this vibrant community.