About the department

The Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa prepares students to improve human health through interdisciplinary education and research at the intersection of engineering and medicine. With strong connections to healthcare and collaborative research, students gain the skills and experience needed for careers in industry, medicine, and graduate study.

 

James Ankrum in lab with students
Lucinda Williamson in the lab with a prosthetic foot
Syed Mubeen and Suresh Raghavan in Mubeen’s lab in IATL.

$ 70,000

Median salary of our recent BME graduates

95 %

Undergraduate placement rate

52 %

of our BME students have participated in undergraduate research experiences

Ready to take the next step?

Apply today

In the News

Meesha Dogan talks with an engineering student on either side of her

Alumna Meesha Dogan making waves with Cardio Diagnostics

Friday, October 2, 2026
Meesha Dogan, CEO, co-founder, and director of Cardio Diagnostics, recently led a group of Iowa engineering students on a tour of her company’s Iowa City lab, where patient samples are processed for diagnostic testing.
Kayla Bean smiles at the camera wearing her stethoscope and doctor name badge

BME alumna uses engineering skills in family medicine residency

Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Carver College of Medicine
The problem-solving skills she honed through her engineering degree gave her a different perspective on patient care as Kayla Bean works as a family medicine resident physician.
Michael Schnieders and Lewis Stevens in the Stevens Lab

Researchers using advanced computing methods to improve drug development

Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Researchers at the University of Iowa are leading an effort to develop a new computational method to predict how pharmaceutical compounds crystallize into tablet form, a critical step in bringing new medicines to patients.
Group portrait of 12 professionally dressed individuals posed on a wide staircase inside a modern building with glass railings and a bright atrium. The group is arranged in three rows, with four people seated or standing in the front, four in the middle, and four in the back. The individuals wear business and business-casual attire in shades of blue, gray, black, and yellow. Large windows, warm wood accents, and several people in the distant background are visible.

Baldes, Marquez named 2026-27 Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows

Monday, August 31, 2026
Carson Baldes, a PhD student in chemical and biochemical engineering, and Tyce Marquez, a PhD student in biomedical engineering, have been selected for the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows Program, a year-long educational experience designed to immerse emerging leaders in the dynamic world of healthcare innovation.
Humvee on a snowy landscape with man peeking out

Green Beret joins academia

Thursday, August 27, 2026
College of Engineering
After serving as a Special Forces medic across Asia, Patrick Link brings global experience and a problem-solving mindset to biomedical engineering.
Four people standing together in a hospital corridor, holding a transparent spine model, with healthcare staff wearing ID badges and one person in a white lab coat.

Engineering a better way to explain scoliosis care

Tuesday, August 11, 2026
University of Iowa
Working alongside experts at UI Health Care, biomedical engineering students turned a classroom project into a teaching tool that’s now helping young patients understand scoliosis treatment.
More BME news

Announcements

Call for photos

We're collecting photos from BME alumni and students to showcase their experiences at the University of Iowa on our website and social media channels. We would love to see and share photos from your time at Iowa. Whether you have pictures from graduation, Iowa events, or just hanging out on campus, we would be grateful if you could share them with us. You can upload your photos through the Alumni and Student Photo Submission page on the BME website. Thank you for your contribution to our community!

Need a medical device or research tool?

We can help! Submit your idea to the Biomedical Engineering Senior Design Course here.

GET INVOLVED

ORGANIZATIONS

BME Events

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College Events

Fall 2026 CoE Improv

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Seamans Center
Fall 2026 College of Engineering Improv
Holding Space: Stories of Interdisciplinary Collaboration — Counterpoint event featuring Stephanie Miracle promotional image

Holding Space: Stories of Interdisciplinary Collaboration — Counterpoint event featuring Stephanie Miracle

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 5:00pm to 6:15pm
Voxman Music Building

Join us to celebrate the interdisciplinary work of University of Iowa choreographer and assistant professor of dance Stephanie Miracle, recipient of the 2026 Obermann Interdisciplinary Achievement Award.

Miracle will bring together dance, engineering, and the humanities in a brief improvisational performance featuring dancers Bea Beaman and Trinity Woody performing alongside robots built by the University of Iowa College of Engineering, with narration by Eric Gidal and music by Jean-François...

AI and Literature Discovery

Thursday, October 15, 2026 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Seamans Center
Build your scholarly toolkit with workshop on AI-powered literature discovery.

Graduate & Professional Students: Let's Do Lunch!

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Sciences Library
Bring your academic interests to the table and engage with fellow graduate and professional students in a casual, supportive environment.
Stanley Award for International Research - Information Session promotional image

Stanley Award for International Research - Information Session

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 2:30pm to 3:30pm
Virtual
The Stanley Award for International Research gives UI students up to $2,500 to design and carry out international research or fieldwork projects.

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