Undergraduate
Bioengineering or Biomedical Engineering focuses on understanding, repairing, replacing, enhancing, or exploiting the properties of the human biomedical and bioelectric systems to address challenges in the fields of biology and medicine. Bioengineering at Trinity College Dublin is coordinated by The Trinity Centre for Bioengineering (TCBE). The Centre has educational and research activity covering Cardiovascular Systems, Regenerative Medicine, Biomaterials, Musculoskeletal systems and Neural Engineering. The Centre has major research projects with all the five main teaching hospitals in Dublin and major international collaborations in Europe and US.
The Trinity Centre for Bioengineering is committed to investigation, innovation, and the translation of scientific discoveries into practical applications that enhance patient care. The Centre for Bioengineering plays a key role in both the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine, advancing both the mission to promote excellence in research as well as undergraduate and postgraduate education. The Centre thus provides a forum in which engineers, basic scientists and clinicians can interact. Currently there are 19 academic leaders in Bioengineering at Trinity College, over 70PhD researchers and 25 Msc students.
Undergraduate education in Bioengineering at Trinity College takes place through elected courses and projects. The 5-year Engineering degree course leading to an MAI is the main course in Trinity College for studying Bioengineering. Years 1 and 2 are focused on fundamental engineering principles necessary for undertaking bioengineering study.
Students select one of three distinct discipline of engineering: Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical and Civil. By choosing either Electrical/Electronic or Mechanical Engineering as their home department, students can focus Years 3, 4 and 5 on an area of their interest including Bioengineering. There are numerous courses which can be taken which provide a solid education in bioengineering. In Years 3, the course Introduction to Bioengineering is focused on an introduction to the subject by concentrating on one major system (cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal etc.). Year 3 also include a major project in medical device design. This project involves working together with clinicians from Trinity College’s two teaching hospitals St James's Hospital and Tallaght Hospital to design new devices to solve real clinical problem. Many of these designs are then taken onto manufacture and clinical testing. Other Year 3 courses include Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering.
Years 4 and 5 provide the student with courses in Biomechanics, Clinical Biomechanics, Cell and Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials, Physiological Measurement and Analysis, Rehabilitation Engineering, Neural Engineering, Neural Implanted Device Design, Neural Signal Processing, Neuroimaging.
The students on graduating from the MAI with a focus on bioengineering are highly employable. They are perfectly prepared for a career in the medical device sector or for further study leading to a PhD. The medical device and diagnostic industry is a major growth sector in Ireland but also internationally. Irish exports are €7.2b annually and employment in the sector is approximately 24,000. The Irish government has identified the medical technology sector as a key driver of industrial growth, as the industry changes from prominently manufacturing to R&D.
Students graduating from the MAI program with its integrated approach will become the next generation of industrial, academic and clinical bioengineers. Using their specialized and transferable skills developed in the MAI programme they will make an immediate and significant professional impact and rapidly become leaders in the medical device and medical technology industry.