Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program
The overarching theme of this program is to train comprehensive imaging scientists in the skills necessary to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.
The basic requirement to complete this portfolio program is 12 hours of coursework (4 courses), which provides the requisite core knowledge for an imaging scientist. Learn more about portfolio programs at The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School.
If you are interested in completing the Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program, please contact the Graduate Program Administrator.
What is a Portfolio Program?
Graduate portfolio programs provide opportunities for enrolled graduate students to obtain transcriptable credentials in cross-disciplinary academic areas of inquiry while they are completing the requirements for a graduate degree in a particular discipline. Portfolio programs promote cross-disciplinary scholarship and study by bringing together faculty and students from a variety of disciplines whose interests transcend boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. Portfolio programs are not degree programs.
The Office of Graduate Studies provides an overview of the university’s general portfolio program requirements.
Portfolio Program Details
The Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program is designed to give graduate students additional experience and specializations in the core areas of image processing, modeling and visualization, instrumentation, devices and contrast agents, and informatics.
This program provides a comprehensive and cohesive scope of education from a personalized mentor team. It includes a clinical immersion experience, innovative externship opportunities and a capstone laboratory course.
Students will also have a unique opportunity to benefit from a prestigious fellowship supported by the NIH grant T32 EB007507 – the Fellowship in Imaging Science and Informatics.
- Approved course in Biomedical Imaging Modalities (3 credit hours)
- Approved course in Image Processing (3 credit hours)
- Approved course in Modeling and Visualization (3 credit hours)
- Approved course in Data Mining and Informatics (3 credit hours)
Some, but not necessarily all, of these courses may count toward your doctoral degree requirements as well. Additionally, optional coursework and seminars are available to portfolio students. A total of 12 credit hours is required.
Fellowship in Imaging Science and Informatics
The Department of Biomedical Engineering was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) training grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), an Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant includes competitive fellowships to support selected biomedical engineering doctoral students in the Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program. The prestigious one-year fellowship includes a stipend, funds for educational and research supplies, and two semesters of tuition.
To be eligible for the fellowship, one must be an admitted doctoral student in Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. After admission to the BME doctoral program, candidates will have the opportunity to request consideration for the fellowship.
This very prestigious fellowship supports interdisciplinary training through an extended support network of faculty and clinical mentors, toward the goal of becoming a comprehensive imaging scientist. Students with research interests that extend beyond imaging sciences and informatics have been successful at diversifying their training through this program, while having the honor of being a Ruth L. Kirschstein Fellow.
In addition to the 12 credit hours (4 courses) required to complete the Portfolio listed above, Kirschstein Fellowship Recipients must complete the following additional 6 credit hours (2 courses):
- BME 381J.8 Functional Imaging Lab (3 credit hours)
- Approved course in Image Processing (3 credit hours)
- Approved course in Modeling and Visualization (3 credit hours)
- Approved course in Data Mining and Informatics (3 credit hours)
- BME 385J Imaging Clinical Immersion (3 credit hours)
- BME 381J.8 Functional Imaging Lab (3 credit hours)
- BME 197E Professional Responsibilities Seminar (1 credit hour)
- BME 197P Professional Development Seminar (1 credit hour)
Some or all of these courses may count toward your doctoral degree requirements as well. Notice that students who complete the fellowship program will al
Professional Development Opportunities
There are several professional development opportunities related to imaging science and informatics that are required for fellowship recipients and recommended for portfolio students:
- Summer Externship Experience between first and second year
- Co-supervision and recommendations for committee structure
- Professional Responsibilities in Imaging (BME 197E)
- Graduate Professional Development Seminar (BME 197P)
T32 Outcomes
Since the training program began in 2009, roughly 40% of graduates have gone on to academic positions and 60% to research-related positions in industry. Alumni now serve as faculty at King Faisal University, the University of Virginia, Stanford University, MIT and Southwestern University, among others, and hold research positions at the Beckman Institute. Those in industry work at companies including Luminex, Google, Cambrex, Amazon, AbbVie, Apple, and Siemens. Trainees complete their Ph.D. in about 5½ years on average.
Trainees have also earned recognition for their accomplishments, with five receiving NSF Graduate Research Fellowships between 2022 and 2025.
T-32 Supported Presentations and Publications
M.K. Markey, H. Wang, L. Hill, H.G. Rylander, E. Castillo, “Career socialization goes live: a talk show format for exploring personal research journeys,” Biomedical Engineering Education (in press)
M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, J.W. Tunnell, L.B. Hill, “Design thinking toolboxes for ideation and early-stage prototyping in non-laboratory Spaces,” Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2026).
M.K. Markey, H.I. Stuckey, H.G. Rylander III, “Visualizing a bibliometric map of publications in a predoctoral training program,” Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting (2024).
L. White, M. Lewis, M. Mastronardi, M. Borrego, H.G. Rylander, M.K. Markey, “BMEntored: Enhancing the first-year experience in a BME doctoral program,” Biomedical Engineering Education 2:197-202 (September 2022).
A. Bailey, H.G. Rylander III, M. K. Markey, “Student team experiences in a clinical immersion course,” Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting (2022).
B. Bakka, J.N. Savoy, H.G. Rylander III, M.K. Markey, “Towards scalable clinical immersion experiences for engineering students,” Proceedings of the 2021 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2021).
J.N. Savoy, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, “Enhancing predoctoral biomedical engineering ethics education,” Proceedings of the 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2020).
J.N. Savoy, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, “Using reflective tools to enhance the value of externships for predoctoral biomedical engineering students,” Proceedings of the 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2020).
J.N. Savoy, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, “The impact of learning contracts in supporting predoctoral BME students’ externships,” Proceedings of the 2019 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2019).
J.N. Savoy, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, “The Talking Points Tool: A brief intervention to support predoctoral student and faculty advisor communication,” Proceedings of the 2018 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2018).
J.N. Savoy, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, “The influence of an externship on BME predoctoral students’ career development,” Proceedings of the 2018 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition (2018).
J. Savoy, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander, “Continuous improvement in instruction in responsible conduct of research,” Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting (2017).
M. Cousins, D. Santiesteban, K. Peralez, M. Gonzalez, H.G. Rylander, M.K. Markey, “Building the pipeline: Developing a symposium to prepare engineering students for graduate school,” Proceedings of the 2014 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2014).
M. Cousins, M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, “Graduate internship/externship experiences in NIBIB funded graduate training programs,” Proceedings of the 2014 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition (2014).
M.K. Markey, H.G. Rylander III, M. Cousins, M.A. Gonzalez, “Graduate training in imaging sciences: strategies to recruit, retain, and advance diverse students,” Proceedings of the 2012 American Society for Engineering Education Gulf-Southwest Conference (ASEE-GSW) (2012).
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