Established with the support of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the HHMI/NIBIB Interfaces Program in Biomedical Imaging and Informational Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania trains a new generation of leaders in the knowledge and skills to conduct research at the interface of clinical imaging and biomedical, physical, chemical, engineering, and computational sciences. The interdisciplinary training builds on the world-class imaging research with preclinical medical school education and graduate-level biomedical imaging courses. This supports a range of biomedical imaging research from imaging acquisition and systems to applications and analysis and integrates quantitative and technical training. Supported by a two-year fellowship at the beginning of the training (funded by the NIH T32 and Penn Radiology), Interfaces scholars will not only gain a medical knowledge but also learn the language and culture and medicine, ideally positioning them to work at the interface between medicine and engineering.
Testimonies
“I think it’s important for biomedical researchers to orient themselves by learning from the clinicians point of view, and taking classes with medical students is a great way to do that. The Interfaces program allows students the invaluable opportunity to learn from multiple very different perspectives-clinician, engineer, biologist-a strategy that has, throughout history, produced some of the most original and innovative minds.”
“One of the most valuable aspects of the Interfaces Program is the mentorship and professional development opportunities it offers. The Interfaces leadership team provided outstanding guidance throughout my graduate school experience and encouraged trainees to seek mentorship in both clinical and engineering-related departments. As a result, I had an outstanding team of mentors spanning multiple disciplines, including several surgical specialties, ultrasound imaging physics, and quantitative image analysis.”