The School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering (BSME) at Beihang University was established on October 23, 2008, originating from the Department of Bioengineering that was initiated in January 2002. Since its opening, BSME has grown and evolved at a rapid pace and now plays an important role in the development of biomedical studies and education throughout China.
The current dean, Professor Yubo Fan, a winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and Yangtze River Scholar, is one of the leading researchers in field of biomedical engineering in China. Major research interests include biomechanics, biomaterials and tissue engineering, and rehabilitation engineering. He is the president of the Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering (CSBME), which strongly promotes the development of biomedical engineering in China, especially with respect to training and educational programs.
The school consists of three departments (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biological Science and Technology, and Department of Rehabilitation Engineering), two research centers (Research Center for Space Life Science and Research Center for Medical Devices), the National Ministry of Education’s Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, and the National Ministry of Civil Affairs’ Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids. Twelve laboratories—which cover 4,000 square meters and include more than 200 testing instruments and equipment—are available for scientists conducting biomedical research on the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and system levels.
Currently, the school has 52 faculty members, including 10 professors, 16 associate professors, 23 assistant professors, and 10 postdoctoral fellows. Many of the faculty members are accomplished in their own research, holding distinguished titles and awards. Professor Fan serves as the president of CSBME and the vice president of the China Strategic Alliance of Medical Device Innovation. Professor Fengyuan Zhuang and Professor Hong Liu are the academician and the communication academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), respectively. Professor Liu is also a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. One professor has been named a Distinguished Young Scholar from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and four have been selected for the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University given by the Ministry of Education (MOE). A number of faculty members serve as editors for leading international journals. Moreover, BSME welcomes six world-renowned scientists as honored professors and 11 as visiting professors, including Professors Shu Chien, Van C. Mow, Savio L.-Y. Woo, Erwin Neher, and David F. Williams.
In the past five years, more than 100 research projects from BSME have received funding, including projects from the National Basic Research Program of China (“973” program), the National Natural Science Foundation, the National High-Tech R&D Program (“863” program), the National Key Technology R&D Program, and local government and industries. More than 150 peer-reviewed papers have been published in leading international and national academic journals within the last three years alone.