Clinical Biodesign

Hands-On, Human-Centered Design

The Clinical Biodesign program, a partnership between UT Austin’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Dell Medical School, trains future physicians and engineers in medical innovation to improve health care locally and beyond.

This nine-month, team-based program pairs medical students with fifth-year BME integrated bachelor’s/master’s students to tackle real clinical challenges. After an introductory course on design thinking, engineering, clinical context, IP and regulatory affairs, teams are immersed in clinical settings to identify unmet needs. They then research, brainstorm, prototype and test solutions, culminating in a viable prototype and business plan.

The program emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration, leadership in flat team structures and human-centered design. Students learn from engineers, clinicians, designers and business experts to develop the skills needed to create meaningful medical technologies and processes.