Biomedical Engineering Minor (B.Eng.) (21 credits)
Offered by: Biomedical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering)
Degree: Bachelor of Engineering
Program credit weight: 21
Program Description
Biomedical engineering can be defined as the application of engineering principles to medicine and the life sciences. Students in the Biomedical Engineering Minor take courses in life sciences (anatomy, biology, chemistry, and physiology) and choose courses form area(s) within the field of biomedicine (artificial cells and organs; bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics; biomaterials, biosensors, and nanotechnology; biomechanics and prosthetics; medical physics and imagine; neural systems and biosignal processesing).
Note: Open to students in the Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Bioresource Engineering.
The Biomedical Engineering Minor allows access to courses in basic life sciences and it intended to expose students to the interdisciplinary tools used in biomedicine.
To complete this Minor, students must obtain a grade of C or better in all approved courses and satisfy the requirements of both the major program and the Minor. By careful selection of courses, the Minor can be satisfied with 9 additional credits in the student's major program or a maximum of 12 credits overlap with the major program.
Students considering this Minor should contact the Minor Advisers listed above.
Minor Advisers: Prof. R. Leask (Wong Building, Room 4120), Prof. R. Mongrain (Macdonald Engineering Building, Room 369) or Prof. G. Mitsis (McConnell Engineering Building, Room 361).
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Complementary Courses (21-25 credits)
Introductory Life Sciences
Minimum of 3 credits from the courses below:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 212 | Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. 1 | 3 |
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division. | ||
| BIEN 219 | Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. 2 | 4 |
Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to molecular and cell biology from a physical perspective. Techniques and methodologies, both experimental and computational, are included in the presentation of each thematic module. | ||
| BIOC 212 | Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. 1 | 3 |
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division. | ||
| BIOL 200 | Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression. | ||
| BIOL 201 | Cell Biology and Metabolism. 1 | 3 |
Cell Biology and Metabolism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course introduces the student to our modern understanding of cells and how they work. Major topics to be covered include: photosynthesis, energy metabolism and metabolic integration; plasma membrane including secretion, endocytosis and contact mediated interactions between cells; cytoskeleton including cell and organelle movement; the nervous system; hormone signaling; the cell cycle. | ||
| BIOL 219 | Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. 2 | 4 |
Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to molecular and cell biology from a physical perspective. Techniques and methodologies, both experimental and computational, are included in the presentation of each thematic module. | ||
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. 3 | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry. | ||
| PHGY 209 | Mammalian Physiology 1. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology of body fluids, blood, body defense mechanisms, muscle, peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous systems. | ||
| PHGY 210 | Mammalian Physiology 2. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology of cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine and renal systems. | ||
- 1
Students can choose one of ANAT 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. BIOC 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. or BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism..
- 2
Students can choose one of ANAT 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function., BIEN 219 Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology., BIOC 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function., BIOL 200 Molecular Biology.,BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism. or BIOL 219 Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology..
- 3
Cannot be taken by Chemical Engineering students.
Specialization Courses
Minimum of 12 credits from courses below:
Students must select 6 credits from courses outside their department and at least one BMDE course. BMDE courses are best taken near the end of the program, when prerequisites are satisfied.
Physiological Systems, Artificial Cells and Organs
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 340 | Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems 2. | 3 |
Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental principles of mass transport and its application to a variety of biological systems. Membrane permeability and diffusive transport. Convection. Transport across cell membranes. Ion channels. Blood rheology. Active transport. Intra- and inter-cellular transport. | ||
| BIEN 360 | Physical Chemistry in Bioengineering. | 3 |
Physical Chemistry in Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Description of chemical systems with the help of theories of physics and application of its techniques: reaction kinetics, physical and chemical equilibria in biological systems. Review of energy transfer and thermodynamics. Chemical and physical equilibria in biology: variation of Gibbs energy with temperature, energy, composition. Theories of reaction kinetics and the reaction mechanism in biological phenomena: polymerization, protein folding, enzymes. | ||
| BIEN 462 | Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic aspects of human physiology. Applications of general balance equations and control theory to systems physiology. The course will cover: circulatory physiology, nervous system physiology, renal physiology and the musculoskeletal system. | ||
| BIEN 540 | Information Storage and Processing in Biological Systems. | 3 |
Information Storage and Processing in Biological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Storage and processing of information in biological systems, both natural and artificially-created, ranging from biomolecules, cells, and populations of cells. Information storage in DNA and DNA computation; molecular surfaces of proteins; computation with motile biological agents in networks; and biological and biologically-inspired algorithms. | ||
| BMDE 505 | Cell and Tissue Engineering. | 3 |
Cell and Tissue Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of the principles of engineering, physical, and biological sciences to modify and create cells and tissues for therapeutic applications will be discussed, as well as the industrial perspective and related ethical issues. | ||
| PHGY 311 | Channels, Synapses and Hormones. | 3 |
Channels, Synapses and Hormones. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses on cellular communication in the nervous system and the endocrine system. | ||
| PHGY 312 | Respiratory, Renal, and Cardiovascular Physiology. | 3 |
Respiratory, Renal, and Cardiovascular Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of topics in renal, respiratory and cardiovascular functions explored beyond the introductory level. | ||
| PHGY 313 | Blood, Gastrointestinal, and Immune Systems Physiology. | 3 |
Blood, Gastrointestinal, and Immune Systems Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of topics in immunology, blood and fluids, and gastrointestinal physiology. | ||
| PHGY 518 | Artificial Cells. | 3 |
Artificial Cells. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology, biotechnology, chemistry and biomedical application of artificial cells, blood substitutes, immobilized enzymes, microorganisms and cells, hemoperfusion, artificial kidneys, and drug delivery systems. PHGY 517 and PHGY 518 when taken together, will give a complete picture of this field. However, the student can select one of these. | ||
Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 365 | Cellular Trafficking. | 3 |
Cellular Trafficking. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course explores the fundamental mechanisms that govern the organizations of intracellular membranes, how vesicle generation is signaled, how the membranes curve and bud, and how vesicles know where to go and fuse. In addition to intracellular vesicles, the principles of mitochondrial dynamics and process of cellular autophagy are examined. Also, there is a focus on "Applied Cell Biology", with respect to how the exquisite regulation of cellular transport plays a central role in complex biological systems. A series of modules will take students through the mechanisms of cellular polarity, neurotransmission, metabolic cell biology, pathogen invasion, and more. The emphasis is on the morphological aspects of the processes, and on the major techniques that led to discovery. | ||
| ANAT 458 | Membranes and Cellular Signaling. 1 | 3 |
Membranes and Cellular Signaling. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An integrated treatment of the properties of biological membranes and of intracellular signaling, including the major role that membranes play in transducing and integrating cellular regulatory signals. Biological membrane organization and dynamics; membrane transport; membrane receptors and their associated effectors; mechanisms of regulation of cell growth, morphology, differentiation and death. | ||
| BIEN 310 | Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering. | 3 |
Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Forward and reverse engineering of biomolecular systems. Principles of biomolecular thermodynamics and kinetics. Structure and function of the main classes of biomolecules including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Biomolecular systems as mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems. Rational design and evolutionary methods for engineering functional proteins, nucleic acids, and gene circuits. Rational design topics include molecular modeling, positive and negative design paradigms, simulation and optimization of equilibrium and kinetic properties, design of catalysts, sensors, motors, and circuits. Evolutionary design topics include evolutionary mechanisms, fitness landscapes, directed evolution of proteins, metabolic pathways, and gene circuits. Systems biology and synthetic biology. | ||
| BIEN 410 | Computational Methods in Biomolecular Engineering. | 3 |
Computational Methods in Biomolecular Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to computational biomolecular engineering. Biomolecular simulation: deterministic simulation, stochastic simulation. Biomolecular modeling: energy minimization, coarse-grained methods. Computational biomolecular design: protein design, protein docking, and drug design. Computational systems and synthetic biology: computer simulation of biomolecular circuits. | ||
| BIEN 420 | Biodevices Design for Diagnostics and Screening. | 3 |
Biodevices Design for Diagnostics and Screening. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Design of analytical devices for high throughput screening (HTS) for genomics, proteomics and other “omics” applications; and for diagnostics for medical, veterinary, or environmental applications. Assessment of the specific requirements of each 'client' applications, followed by a review of specific regulations and guidelines. Theoretical and practical guidelines regarding the design of a specific micro- or nano-device, and comparison with the established state of the art in the chosen application. | ||
| BIEN 540 | Information Storage and Processing in Biological Systems. | 3 |
Information Storage and Processing in Biological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Storage and processing of information in biological systems, both natural and artificially-created, ranging from biomolecules, cells, and populations of cells. Information storage in DNA and DNA computation; molecular surfaces of proteins; computation with motile biological agents in networks; and biological and biologically-inspired algorithms. | ||
| BIEN 590 | Cell Culture Engineering. | 3 |
Cell Culture Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of cell culture engineering, cell line development and cell culture products; genomics, proteomics and post-translational modifications; elements of cell physiology for medium design and bioprocessing; bioreactor design, scale-up for animal cell culture and single use equipment; challenges in downstream processing of cell-culture derived products; process intensification: fed-batch, feeding strategies and continuous manufacturing; scale-down and process modeling; Process Analytical technologies and Quality by Design (QbD) concept. | ||
| BIOC 311 | Metabolic Biochemistry. | 3 |
Metabolic Biochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The generation of metabolic energy in higher organisms with an emphasis on its regulation at the molecular, cellular and organ level. Chemical concepts and mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis are also emphasized. Included: selected topics in carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism; complex lipids and biological membranes; hormonal signal transduction. | ||
| BIOC 312 | Biochemistry of Macromolecules. | 3 |
Biochemistry of Macromolecules. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Gene expression from the start of transcription to the synthesis of proteins, their modifications and degradation. Topics covered: purine and pyrimidine metabolism; transcription and its regulation; mRNA processing; translation; targeting of proteins to specific cellular sites; protein glycosylation; protein phosphorylation; protein turn-over; programmed cell death (apoptosis). | ||
| BIOC 458 | Membranes and Cellular Signaling. 1 | 3 |
Membranes and Cellular Signaling. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An integrated treatment of the properties of biological membranes and of intracellular signaling, including the major role that membranes play in transducing and integrating cellular regulatory signals. Biological membrane organization and dynamics: membrane transport; membrane receptors and their associated effectors; mechanisms of regulation of cell growth, morphology, differentiation and death. | ||
| BMDE 508 | Introduction to Micro and Nano-Bioengineering. | 3 |
Introduction to Micro and Nano-Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The micro and nanotechnologies that drive and support the miniaturization and parallelization of techniques for life sciences research, including different inventions, designs and engineering approaches that lead to new tools and methods for the life sciences - while transforming them - and help advance our knowledge of life. | ||
| COMP 424 | Artificial Intelligence. | 3 |
Artificial Intelligence. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to search methods. Knowledge representation using logic and probability. Planning and decision making under uncertainty. Introduction to machine learning. | ||
| COMP 462 | Computational Biology Methods. | 3 |
Computational Biology Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of computer science techniques to problems arising in biology and medicine, techniques for modeling evolution, aligning molecular sequences, predicting structure of a molecule and other problems from computational biology. | ||
- 1
Students select either ANAT 458 Membranes and Cellular Signaling. or BIOC 458 Membranes and Cellular Signaling..
Biomaterials, Biosensors and Nanotechnology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 330 | Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. | 3 |
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The history, scope, challenges, ethical considerations, and potential of tissue engineering. In vitro control of tissue development, differentiation, and growth, including relevant elements of immunology compared to in vivo tissue and organ development. Emphasis on the materials, chemical factors, and mechanical cues used in tissue engineering. | ||
| BIEN 510 | Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications. | 3 |
Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of biomedical uses of nanotechnology. Emphasis on emerging nanotechnologies and biomedical applications including nanomaterials, nanoengineering, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, nano-based imaging and diagnostic systems, nanotoxicology and immunology, and translating nanomedicine into clinical investigation. | ||
| BIEN 550 | Biomolecular Devices. | 3 |
Biomolecular Devices. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamentals of motor proteins in neuronal transport, force generation e.g. in muscles, cell motility and division. A survey of recent advances in using motor proteins to power nano fabricated devices. Principles of design and operation; hands-on-experience in building a simple device. | ||
| BIEN 560 | Design of Biosensors. | 3 |
Design of Biosensors. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction into the motivation of analytical biosensors as well as its fundamental physicochemical challenges. Techniques used to design, fabricate and operate biosensors. Specific applications. | ||
| BMDE 504 | Biomaterials and Bioperformance. | 3 |
Biomaterials and Bioperformance. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Biological and synthetic biomaterials, medical devices, and the issues related to their bioperformance. The physicochemical characteristics of biomaterials in relation to their biocompatibility and sterilization. | ||
| BMDE 505 | Cell and Tissue Engineering. | 3 |
Cell and Tissue Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of the principles of engineering, physical, and biological sciences to modify and create cells and tissues for therapeutic applications will be discussed, as well as the industrial perspective and related ethical issues. | ||
| BMDE 508 | Introduction to Micro and Nano-Bioengineering. | 3 |
Introduction to Micro and Nano-Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The micro and nanotechnologies that drive and support the miniaturization and parallelization of techniques for life sciences research, including different inventions, designs and engineering approaches that lead to new tools and methods for the life sciences - while transforming them - and help advance our knowledge of life. | ||
| CHEE 380 | Materials Science. | 3 |
Materials Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Structure/property relationship for metals, ceramics, polymers and composite materials. Atomic and molecular structure, bonds, electronic band structure and semi-conductors. Order in solids: crystal structure, disorders, solid phases. Mechanical properties and fracture, physico-chemical properties, design. Laboratory exercises. | ||
| ECSE 424 | Human-Computer Interaction. | 3 |
Human-Computer Interaction. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course highlights human-computer interaction strategies from an engineering perspective. Topics include user interfaces, novel paradigms in human-computer interaction, affordances, ecological interface design, ubiquitous computing and computer-supported cooperative work. Attention will be paid to issues of safety, usability, and performance. | ||
| MECH 553 | Design and Manufacture of Microdevices. | 3 |
Design and Manufacture of Microdevices. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Micromachining techniques (thin-film deposition; lithography; etching; bonding). Microscale mechanical behaviour (deformation and fracture; residual stresses; adhesion; experimental techniques). Materials- and process-selection. Process integration. Design of microdevice components to meet specified performance and reliability targets using realistic manufacturing processes. | ||
| MIME 360 | Phase Transformations: Solids. | 3 |
Phase Transformations: Solids. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Free energy (equilibrium) and kinetic (non-equilibrium) considerations, phase diagrams and TTT diagrams, solid state diffusion, diffusional (nucleation and growth) and shear (martensitic) transformations. | ||
| MIME 362 | Mechanical Properties. | 3 |
Mechanical Properties. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Stress-strain behaviour. Elasticity and plasticity of metals, ceramics and polymers. Dislocations theory. Single crystal and polycrystalline slip. Mechanical twinning. Strengthening mechanisms. Process-property and microstructure-property relationships. Notch toughness and fracture mechanics. Failure, fracture and damage accumulation. Fatigue. Creep and creep rupture. Fractography. Design considerations in materials selection. | ||
| MIME 470 | Engineering Biomaterials. | 3 |
Engineering Biomaterials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Key definitions, clinical need, desired materials properties, current and future materials, materials assessments and performance. Materials of the body. Characterisation techniques for bulk and mechanical properties of biomaterials. Engineering processing and design of biomaterials. | ||
| PHYS 534 | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. | 3 |
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics include scanning probe microscopy, chemical self-assembly, computer modelling, and microfabrication/micromachining. | ||
Biomechanics and Prosthetics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 320 | Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics. | 3 |
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic mechanics of biological building blocks, focusing on the cytoskeleton, with examples from pathology. At the macromolecular level: weak/variable crosslinking and hydrolysis driven athermal processes. At the cellular/tissue level: cell architecture and function. Discussion of modern analytical techniques capable of single-molecule to tissue scale measurements. | ||
| BIEN 570 | Active Mechanics in Biology. | 3 |
Active Mechanics in Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the role of active forces, e.g. cell and tissue contraction, in the mechanics of biological systems. Review of passive and actively driven viscoelastic systems and momentum transport underlying the material properties of biology. The course involves a literature survey and a team project application. | ||
| BMDE 512 | Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. | 3 |
Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. General principles of quantitative modelling; types of models; principles of the finite-element method, primarily as applied to mechanical systems; introduction to the use of finite-element software; model generation from imaging data; modelling various material types, mainly biological; model validation. | ||
| CHEE 563 | Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. 1 | 3 |
Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of circulation including vascular fluid and solid mechanics, modelling techniques, clinical and experimental methods and the design of cardiovascular devices. | ||
| MECH 315 | Mechanics 3. | 4 |
Mechanics 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Single-degree-of-freedom systems; free vibrations; effect of damping; response to harmonic, periodic and arbitrary excitation. Lagrange's equations of motion. Vibrations of multi-degree-of-freedom systems. Continuous systems. | ||
| MECH 321 | Mechanics of Deformable Solids. | 3 |
Mechanics of Deformable Solids. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Modern phenomenological theories of the behaviour of engineering materials. Stress and strain concepts and introduction to constitutive theory. Applications of theory of elasticity and thermoelasticity. Introduction to finite element stress analysis method and its application to structural design of a machine element. | ||
| MECH 530 | Mechanics of Composite Materials. | 3 |
Mechanics of Composite Materials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fiber-reinforced composites. Stress, strain, and strength of composite laminates and honeycomb structures. Failure modes and failure criteria. Environmental effects. Manufacturing processes. Design of composite structures. Computer modelling of composites. Computer techniques are utilized throughout the course. | ||
| MECH 561 | Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Systems. | 3 |
Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The musculoskeletal system; general characteristics and classification of tissues and joints. Biomechanics and clinical problems in orthopaedics. Modelling and force analysis of musculoskeletal systems. Passive and active kinematics. Load-deformation properties of passive connective tissue, passive and stimulated muscle response. Experimental approaches, case studies. | ||
| MECH 563 | Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. 1 | 3 |
Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of circulation including vascular fluid and solid mechanics, modelling techniques, clinical and experimental methods and the design of cardiovascular devices. | ||
| MIME 360 | Phase Transformations: Solids. | 3 |
Phase Transformations: Solids. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Free energy (equilibrium) and kinetic (non-equilibrium) considerations, phase diagrams and TTT diagrams, solid state diffusion, diffusional (nucleation and growth) and shear (martensitic) transformations. | ||
| MIME 362 | Mechanical Properties. | 3 |
Mechanical Properties. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Stress-strain behaviour. Elasticity and plasticity of metals, ceramics and polymers. Dislocations theory. Single crystal and polycrystalline slip. Mechanical twinning. Strengthening mechanisms. Process-property and microstructure-property relationships. Notch toughness and fracture mechanics. Failure, fracture and damage accumulation. Fatigue. Creep and creep rupture. Fractography. Design considerations in materials selection. | ||
- 1
Students choose either CHEE 563 Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. or MECH 563 Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics..
Medical Physics and Imaging
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 350 | Biosignals, Systems and Control. 1 | 4 |
Biosignals, Systems and Control. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discrete- and continuous-time signals; basic system properties. Linear time-invariant systems; convolution. Frequency domain analysis; filtering; sampling. Laplace and Fourier transforms; transfer functions; poles and zeros; transient and steady state response. Z-transforms. Dynamic behaviour and PID control of first- and second-order processes. Stability. Applications to biological systems, such as central nervous, cognitive, and motor systems. | ||
| BIEN 530 | Imaging and Bioanalytical Instrumentation. | 3 |
Imaging and Bioanalytical Instrumentation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Microscopy techniques with application to biology and medicine. Practical introduction to optics and microscopy from the standpoint of biomedical research. Discussion of recent literature; hands-on experience. Topics include: optics, contrast techniques, advanced microscopy, and image analysis. | ||
| BMDE 512 | Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. | 3 |
Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. General principles of quantitative modelling; types of models; principles of the finite-element method, primarily as applied to mechanical systems; introduction to the use of finite-element software; model generation from imaging data; modelling various material types, mainly biological; model validation. | ||
| BMDE 519 | Biomedical Signals and Systems. | 3 |
Biomedical Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the theoretical framework, experimental techniques and analysis procedures available for the quantitative analysis of physiological systems and signals. Lectures plus laboratory work using the Biomedical Engineering computer system. Topics include: amplitude and frequency structure of signals, filtering, sampling, correlation functions, time and frequency-domain descriptions of systems. | ||
| COMP 424 | Artificial Intelligence. | 3 |
Artificial Intelligence. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to search methods. Knowledge representation using logic and probability. Planning and decision making under uncertainty. Introduction to machine learning. | ||
| COMP 558 | Fundamentals of Computer Vision. | 4 |
Fundamentals of Computer Vision. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Image filtering, edge detection, image features and histograms, image segmentation, image motion and tracking, projective geometry, camera calibration, homographies, epipolar geometry and stereo, point clouds and 3D registration. Applications in computer graphics and robotics. | ||
| ECSE 206 | Introduction to Signals and Systems. 1 | 3 |
Introduction to Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of complex functions. Discrete-and continuous-time signals, basic system properties. Linear time-invariant systems, convolution. Fourier series and Fourier transforms, frequency-domain analysis, filtering, sampling. Laplace transforms and inversion, transfer functions, poles and zeros, solutions of linear constant-coefficient differential equations, transient and steady-state response. Z-transforms. | ||
| ECSE 412 | Discrete Time Signal Processing. | 3 |
Discrete Time Signal Processing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discrete-time signals and systems; Fourier and Z-transform analysis techniques, the discrete Fourier transform; elements of FIR and IIR filter design, filter structures; FFT techniques for high speed convolution; quantization effects. | ||
| PHYS 557 | Nuclear Physics. | 3 |
Nuclear Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. General nuclear properties, nucleon-nucleon interaction and scattering theory, radioactivity, nuclear models, nuclear reactions. | ||
- 1
Students choose either BIEN 350 Biosignals, Systems and Control. or ECSE 206 Introduction to Signals and Systems..
Neural Systems and Biosignal Processing
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 350 | Biosignals, Systems and Control. 1 | 4 |
Biosignals, Systems and Control. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discrete- and continuous-time signals; basic system properties. Linear time-invariant systems; convolution. Frequency domain analysis; filtering; sampling. Laplace and Fourier transforms; transfer functions; poles and zeros; transient and steady state response. Z-transforms. Dynamic behaviour and PID control of first- and second-order processes. Stability. Applications to biological systems, such as central nervous, cognitive, and motor systems. | ||
| BIEN 462 | Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic aspects of human physiology. Applications of general balance equations and control theory to systems physiology. The course will cover: circulatory physiology, nervous system physiology, renal physiology and the musculoskeletal system. | ||
| BMDE 501 | Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering. | 3 |
Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of how techniques from engineering and the physical sciences are applied to the study of selected physiological systems and biological signals. Using specific biological examples, systems will be studied using: signal or finite-element analysis, system and identification, modelling and simulation, computer control of experiments and data acquisition. | ||
| BMDE 502 | BME Modelling and Identification. | 3 |
BME Modelling and Identification. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methodologies in systems or distributed multidimensional processes. System themes include parametric vs. non-parametric system representations; linear/non-linear; noise, transients and time variation; mapping from continuous to discrete models; and relevant identification approaches in continuous and discrete time formulations. | ||
| BMDE 503 | Biomedical Instrumentation. | 3 |
Biomedical Instrumentation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The principles and practice of making biological measurements in the laboratory, including theory of linear systems, data sampling, computer interfaces and electronic circuit design. | ||
| BMDE 519 | Biomedical Signals and Systems. | 3 |
Biomedical Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the theoretical framework, experimental techniques and analysis procedures available for the quantitative analysis of physiological systems and signals. Lectures plus laboratory work using the Biomedical Engineering computer system. Topics include: amplitude and frequency structure of signals, filtering, sampling, correlation functions, time and frequency-domain descriptions of systems. | ||
| ECSE 206 | Introduction to Signals and Systems. 1 | 3 |
Introduction to Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of complex functions. Discrete-and continuous-time signals, basic system properties. Linear time-invariant systems, convolution. Fourier series and Fourier transforms, frequency-domain analysis, filtering, sampling. Laplace transforms and inversion, transfer functions, poles and zeros, solutions of linear constant-coefficient differential equations, transient and steady-state response. Z-transforms. | ||
| ECSE 517 | Neural Prosthetic Systems. | 3 |
Neural Prosthetic Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected topics in bioengineering focusing on the principles of neural prosthetics systems (brain machine interfaces). Paralysis as a communication problem. Motor control theory receptive fields. Electrical properties of the central nervous system, modern measurement technologies, encoding and mutual information, statistical data analysis, decoding and thought prediction. | ||
| ECSE 526 | Artificial Intelligence. | 3 |
Artificial Intelligence. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Design principles of autonomous agents, agent architectures, machine learning, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and multi-agent collaboration. The course includes a term project that consists of designing and implementing software agents that collaborate and compete in a simulated environment. | ||
| PHYS 413 | Physical Basis of Physiology. | 3 |
Physical Basis of Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Analytic and computer simulation techniques are used to examine the role of nonlinearities and time delays in determining the dynamic behaviour of physiological control systems and their relation to normal and pathophysiological states. Examples drawn from the control of respiration, cellular proliferation and differentiation, biochemical feedback networks, thermoregulatory mechanisms, and neural feedback. | ||
- 1
Students choose either BIEN 350 Biosignals, Systems and Control. or ECSE 206 Introduction to Signals and Systems..
0-6 credits can be taken by permission of the Departmental Adviser and approval of the Minor Adviser.