About Department of Bioengineering · Seattle
The University of Washington Department of Bioengineering (UW BioE) is an interdisciplinary academic department jointly housed in the UW College of Engineering and the UW School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. Founded by Dr. Robert Rushmer in 1967 as the UW Center for Bioengineering, the department today enrolls roughly 215 undergraduates and 203 graduate students, and is led by 47 core faculty plus 54 adjunct and 50 affiliate faculty. It offers ABET-accredited BS, MS, Master of Applied Bioengineering, online Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering, and PhD programs, and consistently ranks among the top biomedical engineering programs in the U.S.
UW Bioengineering traces its origins to 1967, when cardiologist and biomedical inventor Dr. Robert Rushmer — known for early cardiac treadmills, the hemodialysis shunt, and Doppler ultrasound instruments — established the UW Center for Bioengineering as a joint research enterprise of the College of Engineering and the School of Medicine focused on the cardiovascular system. As research expanded, the Center gained the ability to grant PhDs in 1984 and added undergraduate courses in 1985; in 1997 it was renamed the Department of Bioengineering. The undergraduate BS program was approved in 2000 and received ABET accreditation in 2008 (retroactive to 2006). In 2006, the department consolidated into the 265,000-square-foot William H. Foege Building on Portage Bay, which houses offices, instructional labs, computing labs, and research space; additional labs sit in the School of Medicine and at the South Lake Union campus. The department has recorded over 1,025 reported inventions, 2,163 patents filed, 561 patents issued, 166 active licenses, and 50 startup companies, and frequently ranks first or second among UW departments in invention disclosures. Five interdisciplinary research themes anchor the department: biomaterials and regenerative medicine, molecular and cellular engineering, imaging and image-guided therapy, technology to expand access to healthcare, and systems and synthetic biology. Faculty collaborate across the UW Center for Neurotechnology, the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the Center for Translational Muscle Research, UWEB, and the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute. Alumni include Goldwater, Luce, Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, and Bonderman Fellows, and former chair Yongmin Kim went on to become President of POSTECH in South Korea.
- In business
- 58 (founded 1967 as UW Center for Bioengineering; became a department in 1997)
- Owner
- Dr. Robert Rushmer (founded the UW Center for Bioengineering in 1967); Department Chair as of recent listings: Nancy Allbritton (Frank & Julie Jungers Dean, College of Engineering, and Professor of Bioengineering)
- Serves
- Seattle, Washington and the broader Pacific Northwest; serves in-state, out-of-state, and international students on the UW Seattle campus (with online Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering available globally)
History of UW Bioengineering
UW Bioengineering was founded as the UW Center for Bioengineering by Dr. Robert Rushmer in 1967. Rushmer — known for inventing the first treadmills for cardiac testing, the hemodialysis shunt, and Doppler ultrasound instruments — built the Center as a joint research enterprise of the UW College of Engineering and UW School of Medicine focused on the cardiovascular system. The Center was authorized to grant PhDs in 1984 and added undergraduate courses in 1985. It was reorganized as the Department of Bioengineering in 1997, the BS degree was approved in 2000, and the undergraduate program earned ABET accreditation in 2008 (retroactive to 2006). In 2006 the department moved into the 265,000-square-foot William H. Foege Building on Portage Bay. Longest-tenured faculty Gerald Pollack and Lee Huntsman both arrived in 1968; Huntsman later served as UW Provost (1996–2003) and Acting President (2003–2004), and former chair Yongmin Kim became President of POSTECH in South Korea.
- 1967 — Center for Bioengineering founded by Dr. Robert Rushmer
- 1984 — Authority to grant PhDs
- 1985 — Undergraduate courses added
- 1989 — Whitaker Development Award fuels molecular engineering growth
- 1996 — UWEB NSF Engineering Research Center established
- 1997 — Renamed Department of Bioengineering
- 2000 — BS degree program approved
- 2006 — Move into the William H. Foege Building; ABET accreditation retroactive
- 2008 — Formal ABET accreditation
Academic Programs
UW Bioengineering offers an ABET-accredited BS in Bioengineering (with optional Data Science and Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering tracks), Master of Science, Master of Applied Bioengineering (MAB), online/part-time Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering (PharBE), an accelerated Bachelor/Master of Science (BS/MS), and PhD degrees (with Data Science and Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering options). An MD/PhD pathway and the Program on Technology Commercialization are available in collaboration with other UW units. The senior capstone project is the culminating experience for undergraduates, who work in faculty labs alongside clinical or industry mentors to develop devices that address real medical challenges.
- BS in Bioengineering (ABET-accredited)
- BS in Bioengineering: Data Science
- BS in Bioengineering: Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering
- Master of Science in Bioengineering
- Master of Applied Bioengineering (MAB) — 1-year full-time
- Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering (PharBE) — online part-time
- Bachelor/Master of Science (BS/MS) accelerated pathway
- PhD in Bioengineering (and Data Science / Nanotechnology tracks)
- MD/PhD dual degree
- Program on Technology Commercialization
Undergraduate Program
The undergraduate program is ABET-accredited and consistently ranks among the top biomedical engineering BS programs in the U.S. It emphasizes small class sizes, a culture of collaboration, real-world design, and hands-on research. Students join faculty labs — sometimes as early as freshman year — and culminate their studies with a year-long senior capstone project addressing real medical problems. Alumni include Goldwater, Luce, Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, and Bonderman Scholars; more than 100 Mary Gates Scholars; and multiple College of Engineering Dean's Medalists and NASA Space Grant recipients.
- 215 undergraduate enrollment (per About page)
- 65 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023
- ABET-accredited since 2008 (retroactive to 2006)
- Senior capstone research/design project
- Admissions via Engineering Undeclared placement, transfer, and UW interest-changer pathways
Graduate Programs
Graduate students pursue research-intensive MS and PhD tracks, professional master's degrees, and an accelerated BS/MS pathway. The Master of Applied Bioengineering is a one-year, full-time program for students interested in (bio)engineering design, entrepreneurship, and product development, including a clinical practicum and a summer industry internship or capstone. The PharBE is a part-time, online program for working biotech professionals covering drug discovery, pharmaceutics, and clinical development. PhD students typically join a research lab in year one, complete coursework and a Qualifying Exam by summer of year two, form a supervisory committee in year three, pass a General Exam in year four, and defend their dissertation in year five.
- 203 graduate enrollment (per About page)
- 43 master's degrees awarded in 2023
- 26 doctoral degrees awarded in 2023
- MAB — 1 year, full-time, design/entrepreneurship focus
- PharBE — 2 years, online part-time, biotech industry focus
- PhD typical timeline: labs year 1, qualifying exam year 2, supervisory committee year 3, general exam year 4, defense year 5
Research Themes
With strong external funding and interdisciplinary collaboration that bridges engineering, physical sciences, and medicine, UW Bioengineering organizes its work around five overarching research themes. Faculty and students pursue a mix of basic and applied research with a particular focus on translating discoveries into clinical and global-health impact.
- Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine
- Molecular and Cellular Engineering
- Instrumentation, Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy
- Technology for Expanding Access to Healthcare
- Systems, Synthetic and Quantitative Biology
- Neural Engineering (collaboration with UW Center for Neurotechnology)
Faculty and People
The department comprises 47 core faculty, 4 teaching-track faculty, 54 adjunct faculty, 50 affiliate faculty, and 31 senior fellows, visiting scholars, and visiting scientists. Core faculty include named and endowed chairs such as the Hunter and Dorothy Simpson Endowed Chair (Princess Imoukhuede), the Washington Research Foundation Professor and Director of the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (Suzie H. Pun), the James B. Bassingthwaighte Endowed Faculty Fellow and Director of the Center for Translational Muscle Research (Michael Regnier), the David and Nancy Auth Endowed Professor (Valerie Daggett), and the Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professor (Cole DeForest). Jay T. Rubinstein — the department's first PhD graduate — is a Joint Professor and Director of the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center. Faculty regularly earn prestigious scientific awards, and core faculty receive more than $1.2M in new funding per tenured/tenure-track member.
- 47 core faculty, 4 teaching-track, 54 adjunct, 50 affiliate
- 31 senior fellows, visiting scholars, and visiting scientists
- Notable core faculty: Nancy Allbritton, Jay Rubinstein, Suzie Pun, Cole DeForest, Kelly Stevens, Michael Regnier, Valerie Daggett, Daniel Ratner, Karl Böhringer, Daniel Chiu, Princess Imoukhuede, Gerald Pollack, Andre Berndt, Mike Averkiou, Joan Sanders, Patrick M. Boyle, Lara Gamble, Robbie Wong, Herbert Sauro
Research Translation and Commercialization
UW Bioengineering is a recognized leader in education and research that encourages biomedical invention. Faculty and alumni have launched numerous startup companies and routinely license technology to industry partners, contributing to the regional innovation economy. The department has often ranked 1st or 2nd among UW departments in invention disclosures.
- 1,025 reported inventions
- 2,163 patents filed
- 561 patents issued
- 166 active licenses
- 50 startup companies from faculty and student research
- Program on Technology Commercialization (cross-campus option)
Facilities and Location
The department is primarily housed in the William H. Foege Bioengineering Building (Foege N107) on the UW Seattle campus at 3720 15th Ave NE, adjacent to Portage Bay. The 265,000-square-foot building, completed in 2006, provides offices, instructional laboratories, computing labs, a student work room, a seminar room, and meeting space, along with many faculty research labs. Additional laboratories are located in the UW School of Medicine and at the South Lake Union research campus (including the Brotman Building and South Research Building).
- William H. Foege Bioengineering Building — Foege N107
- 3720 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195
- 265,000 sq. ft. research facility on Portage Bay
- Additional labs at UW School of Medicine and South Lake Union campus
Notable Alumni and Distinctions
UW Bioengineering alumni and faculty have been recognized with many of the highest academic honors in the country and have gone on to leadership positions in academia, industry, and medicine. The department's first PhD graduate, Jay Rubinstein, returned as faculty and is a leading cochlear-implant researcher. Former chair Yongmin Kim is President of POSTECH University in South Korea. Alumni include a Luce Scholar (Jesse Burk-Rafel, BS 2010) and a Rhodes Scholar (Cameron Turtle, BS 2012).
- Goldwater, Luce, Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, and Bonderman Scholars among alumni
- More than 100 Mary Gates Scholars
- College of Engineering Dean's Medalists and NASA Space Grant recipients
- Yongmin Kim — former chair, now President of POSTECH
- Jay Rubinstein — first PhD graduate, now faculty and Director of the Bloedel Hearing Research Center
Contact and Visit
Prospective students, researchers, and partners can reach the department at its main office in the Foege Building on the UW Seattle campus, by phone, or by email.
- Address: William H. Foege Bioengineering Building (N107), 3720 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195
- Phone: (206) 685-2000
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://bioe.uw.edu/