姓名-老年精神医学会.doc

P-2 Role of bioengineering in medicine Shu Chien Departments of Bioengineering and Medicine and Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA In the 21st century, the highest priority for most people is health. By applying engineering principles and technology to medicine, biomedical engineering plays an important role in improving the health and quality of life of people. The dramatic progress in modern biology and genomics has generated a vast amount of biomedical information. The analysis, synthesis, interpretation and application of these biomedical data require the application of new concepts and techniques in engineering. For example, the synthesis of research findings with the aid of systems biology has led to the generation of a cohesive body of knowledge through engineering analysis and network construction. An integrative approach combining biology, medicine and engineering is essential for the elucidation of the complex mechanisms of physiological regulation in health and the development of innovative methods for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. The integration requires interdisciplinary research and education at the interface of engineering and biomedicine and the coordination of research across multiple scales in the biological hierarchy (from gene-molecule to cell-tissues and organ-system). We need to synergize science and technology with the ultimate aim of translation to clinical medicine and health care delivery. There are dramatic advances in science and technology. Some examples are the use of nanotechnology for diagnosis and drug delivery to treat cancer and infectious diseases, the development of smart biomaterials and the application of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and the enhancement of sensor technologies to monitor physiological and pathophysiological functions with improved sensitivity and minimal interfer