Department Overview Heading link
The goal of the Department of Biomedical Sciences is to advance the knowledge of living systems with a focus on understanding specific disease processes, discovering the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for disease development, and finding a cure for specific disease conditions.
Education
Today, we are experiencing an explosion of discoveries in biomedical sciences, regenerative medicine, disability research and biotechnology. The range of new information is exciting, and at times, overwhelming. It is our aim in biomedical education, to help students understand this complex information and appreciate the need to become lifelong learners and contributors to an expanding body of knowledge.
The department runs a highly successful master’s degree program in Medical Biotechnology with current enrollment of over 60 students. In addition, the department offers summer internship programs for high school students in partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific, a summer internship for college students (SMaRT program), and a 1-week summer camp.
Biomedical Sciences programs Heading link
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Master of Science in Biotechnology Program
The Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology Program (MBT Program) concentrates on biological processes, technologies and skill sets used in the research and development of pharmaceutical products, vaccines and devices for the medical industry.
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Summer Programs for High School Students
Two summer opportunities are available to area high school students: the Summer Science Internship encourages understanding of medical research while the STEM Camp exposes students to biomedical sciences and motivates them to consider careers in science.
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Summer Medical Research Training (SMaRT) Program
This summer training program offers specialized medical research training to current college students. The students will complete a two-month intensive training program in medical research at the basic research laboratories on the Rockford campus.
Department Overview: Research Heading link
Research
Biomedical sciences research on the Rockford campus includes research in the areas of cancer detection and treatment methods, stem cell therapies and vaccine development along with other exciting and ground-breaking research.
The department has a dynamic group of junior and senior faculty and postdoctoral fellows. The research focus of department faculty are in the broad areas of lung cancer biology, lung cancer diagnosis, prostate cancer therapy, stem cells and regenerative medicine, tribocorrosion and devising newer medical implants, immunological regulation of autoimmune diseases, drug discovery and vaccine development. NIH funded projects focus on both basic and translational research.