Welcome to the Institute for Engineering-Driven Medicine at Stony Brook University 

The exponential growth of technology is ushering in a new era in medicine. This era is defined by the convergence of biomedicine with engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, computational science and artificial intelligence. Convergence science is radically transforming biomedicine and has the potential to provide unprecedented technological breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment, new insights into the origins of disease, revolutionize precision and personalized medicine, and dramatically improve health care delivery to individuals and communities.

The opportunity that lies ahead is characterized by a fusing of the distinction between what now seems possible and what was once considered science fiction. Convergence science is tackling some of today’s biggest challenges, such as:

Can entire organs be 3D printed and used for transplantation, dramatically reducing organ rejection issues and solving the critical organ-for-transplantation shortage problem?
Can computer chips be implanted in the brain to manage neurological diseases?
Can artificial intelligence methods dramatically improve early detection of potentially treatable serious diseases?
Can cancers be detected at their earliest stages with simple non-invasive tests, and treatment steered using computer modeling and artificial intelligence?
Can autonomous micro-machines (or nanobots) travel within the human body to deliver medicinal loads to specific tissues or cells?
Can big data and machine learning help us understand the environmental contributions to disease, predict patient responses to drugs or other medical interventions, or track and stop the spread of infectious diseases?

As the convergence of engineering and medicine is transforming healthcare, new educational, research, and technology transfer paradigms are needed to fuel this revolution. Mechanisms should be put in place that facilitate the rapid formation of transdisciplinary teams to undertake convergence science research amidst rapidly emerging and evolving healthcare challenges.  Research needs to be seamlessly integrated within an innovation ecosystem that will enable commercialization and a faster transition from the laboratory to clinical practice. New educational paradigms are needed to prepare the engineers, scientists and clinicians of the future, who will require a robust understanding of the technologies behind convergence science to more effectively deliver emerging healthcare innovations to patients. The opportunities are endless.

The juxtaposition of outstanding School of Medicine and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences faculties and facilities on the Stony Brook University campus who already working together on several engineering and medicine initiatives, we are well-positioned to lead in the era of convergence science and Engineering-Driven Medicine. For that reason, we are launching the Institute for Engineering-Driven Medicine (IEDM) at Stony Brook University, which will be housed in a brand new $75 million facility currently under construction. Artificial Intelligence is a crucial enabling technology so IEDM has synergistic links with the new Stony Brook AI Institute. Through the IEDM we will leverage existing and recruit new talented faculty across medicine and engineering and provide them with the opportunity and infrastructure to conduct cutting-edge convergence science research.