Wholehearted
Transformational gift from Texas Instruments helps create a shared space for biomedical engineering innovation through joint project of UT Southwestern and UT Dallas
The potential for biomedical engineering to advance health care was underscored during the Nov. 15, 2021, groundbreaking of the new Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (BMES) Building on UT Southwestern’s East Campus.
Catalyzing a unique partnership between UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT Dallas, the building will bring the two institutions’ biomedical engineering programs together to foster innovative solutions for unmet medical needs. As a longtime supporter of both UT Dallas and UTSW, Texas Instruments’ generous gift will help create an extraordinary environment for technological innovation.
The collaboration holds great promise for the development of new therapies that will advance clinical care and reduce the burden of disease and injury. Recent advances have begun to show how previously unimaginable bioengineering approaches – such as tissue engineering, organ fabrication, and neuroprosthetics – could restore function to damaged tissues and organs.
Scheduled for completion in 2023, the five-story building will house biomedical engineering and related science faculty from both institutions, creating an environment that furthers their educational missions and helps accelerate the advancement and translation of medical technologies into clinical applications.
The 150,000-square-foot facility will bring together physicians, engineers, and researchers in close proximity to clinical problems and environments, providing access to a robust patient population and state-of-the-art research facilities. In addition, UTSW will benefit from access to UT Dallas engineers, mathematicians, physicists, and computer scientists. The new facility will provide research and support spaces for dozens of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students.
Central to this effort, UTSW’s Office for Technology Development will increase its collaboration with the BMES facility to ensure that promising biomedical technologies are moved through the commercialization process in an effective and efficient manner.
“Biomedical engineering opens the door to solving some of the greatest challenges in medicine, from brain disease to the shortage of organs available for transplant. Dr. Samuel Achilefu brings the expertise and vision needed to build a world-class Department of Biomedical Engineering at UT Southwestern uniquely focused on a translational approach to improve human health. What once seemed like science fiction is within reach in the coming years. I’m excited to be part of this next great chapter of innovation at UT Southwestern.”
Gifts from Texas Instruments, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Hillcrest Foundation, and Sara and David Martineau are supporting construction of the Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building. Philanthropist Lyda Hill also established and endowed the Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering, held by the inaugural Chair of UT Southwestern’s new Department of Biomedical Engineering, Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D.
Biomedical Engineers Spark Innovation
Neuroprosthetics
Enable people with motor or sensory disabilities to move, hear, see, and touch by integrating the human brain and computers with devices such as cochlear implants and spinal cord stimulators.
Medical Imaging
Use machine learning and computational imagery to generate images that help physicians diagnose and treat disease using minimally or completely noninvasive procedures.
Tissue Engineering
Design and fabricate tissues and organs such as artificial kidneys and hearts using special plastics and natural materials that act as a scaffolding upon which living cells can be grown.
Biomechanics
Assess human performance and ergonomics to understand patterns of injury, increase sports performance, and develop physical therapy programs to increase strength.
Envisioning Innovation
In February, Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D., joined the UTSW faculty as the inaugural Chair of Biomedical Engineering. He is eager to strengthen the collaboration between UT Dallas and UTSW that will unleash the potential of biomedical engineering in developing highly technical solutions to medical conditions.
“I look forward with excitement to working alongside the incredible team of students, staff, investigators, and senior leadership at UT Southwestern to build the new Biomedical Engineering Department,” he said.
Dr. Achilefu was recruited to UTSW from the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he served as Director of the Optical Radiology Laboratory, and Professor of Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics. His research interests include image-guided cancer surgery, portable imaging devices, and nanotechnology. He pioneered the design and use of innovative fluorescent materials for cancer imaging, and his seminal work resulted in the clinical translation of a method to identify and treat most cancer types, especially breast tumors. He also developed a wearable cancer-imaging goggle systemthat highlights cancer cells, providing real-time guidance to surgeons in the operating room and ensuring the complete removal of cancerous tissue.
In 2021, Dr. Achilefu was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
“I look forward with excitement to working alongside the incredible team of students, staff, investigators, and senior leadership at UT Southwestern to build the new Biomedical Engineering Department.”
Dr. Achilefu holds the Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.
