50 years of engineering better health for a boundless future

2017-18 marked the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Center for Bioengineering at UW, and 20 years since BioE was established as an academic department. Read about UW BioE’s achievements, leadership through the decades and notable dates in the anniversary article.

Archival photo of researcher working with instrument

UW Bioengineering history

Learn how we have advanced bioengineering research, education, leadership and service, from our beginning as the UW Center of Bioengineering in 1967 to today.

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Students working with laboratory equipment

Support UW Bioengineering

Throughout our history, we have invented the future of medicine. You can help us transform lives today and beyond, here in Washington and around the world.

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Stories of Impact

  • Bioengineers Connecting

Bioengineers Connect: An evening of networking and inspiration

May 1st, 2024|Comments Off on Bioengineers Connect: An evening of networking and inspiration

Bioengineers Connect, a UW Bioengineering initiative, brought together alumni and students for a networking dinner to share experiences and aspirations.

  • Department Successes

Impact Built Together

June 13th, 2023|Comments Off on Impact Built Together

An update on bioengineering’s successes this academic year As the Department of Bioengineering is [...]

  • Patrick M Boyle at work in the CardSS lab

Research from the heart

March 16th, 2023|Comments Off on Research from the heart

Patrick Boyle, center, with bioengineering Ph.D. candidate Alexander Ochs, left, and junior Jamie [...]

  • Prof. Joan Sanders

Prof. Joan Sanders featured in UW Today

October 21st, 2022|Comments Off on Prof. Joan Sanders featured in UW Today

Written by: Kiyomi Taguchi and James Urton UW News - October 13, 2022 See [...]

  • Barry Lutz Mike Averkiou

Hope and Healing

July 13th, 2021|Comments Off on Hope and Healing

Reprinted here.  Original story One researcher combats cancer with the help of UW [...]

  • Kuleana Logo

Ratner earns NIH tech transfer grant to improve dialysis for patients

October 17th, 2025|Comments Off on Ratner earns NIH tech transfer grant to improve dialysis for patients

Buddy Ratner earns a $1.6 million grant that will support a new method of recycling dialysate that is 500 times more efficient than current approaches.

Nishant Velagapudi – From Capstone to CTO

October 14th, 2025|Comments Off on Nishant Velagapudi – From Capstone to CTO

Alumnus Nishant Velagapudi shared his experience at an AI-based medtech company with 2025 capstone students

  • Impact Update 2025

2025 BioE Impact Report

October 9th, 2025|Comments Off on 2025 BioE Impact Report

  • 2025 Hoffman Lecture - Paula T. Hammond

2025 Hoffman Lecture – Paula T. Hammond

September 29th, 2025|Comments Off on 2025 Hoffman Lecture – Paula T. Hammond

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING ALLAN S. HOFFMAN LECTURE PRESENTS: Prof. Paula T. [...]

  • Ayokunle Olanrewaju

Olanrewaju earns NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award

September 19th, 2025|Comments Off on Olanrewaju earns NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award

Professor Ayokunle Olanrewaju has earned a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences.