Ohio State’s Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) was created seven years ago after its founders identified a need for an institute dedicated to this discipline. The MBI is the first center of its kind created by the National Science Foundation (NSF). A $10 million grant from the NSF initiated the Institute.
The mission of the MBI, directed by Martin Golubitsky, PhD, is to: foster innovation and application of mathematical, statistical and computational methods for solving problems in the biosciences; engage mathematical and biological scientists in solving these problems; and expand the community of scholars in mathematical biosciences through education, teaching and support of students and researchers.
To support this mission, the MBI is reinforcing and building on existing research efforts in mathematical bioscience and encouraging human and intellectual growth in this area. Emphasis-year programs, current-topics workshops, educational programs and sponsored research projects are the structure under which these goals will be achieved.
Department of Biomedical Engineering
“The discipline of biomedical engineering lies at the forefront of the medical revolution. Advances in biomedical engineering are accomplished through interdisciplinary activities that integrate the physical, chemical, mathematical and computational sciences with engineering principles to study biology, medicine and behavior.” (National Institutes of Health working definition of Biomedical Engineering, July 1997).
Directed by Richard Hart, PhD, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Ohio State was established in 2005. Before that, biomedical engineering research at the University was conducted within a multidisciplinary center for more than 30 years. Current students are involved with biomicroelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS), imaging, biomechanics, biomaterials and tissue engineering research directed primarily toward cardiovascular, orthopedic and vision applications. Areas of study within the Department include: nanotechnology for cell transplants; microfabrication of biodegradable polymers for drug delivery; design of virtual bone dissection simulations; biomechanics of bone adaptation; magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy; corneal topography; and biocompatibility of novel implant materials. Sixteen departmental faculty members in biomedical engineering, plus more than 60 participating faculty researchers, collaborate through the Department, providing extensive resources for research. Among these are researchers in Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and the Ohio Nanotech West Laboratory, with multiple resources dedicated to bioMEMS. In addition to the technical and clinical research facilities across campus and at the Medical Center, research is also conducted at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
OSU Bionutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (BFSRI) – A one-of-a-kind research institute, the BFSRI integrates traditional nutrition study with contemporary biology. Linking agriculture, food systems and public health research programs, BFSRI encourages the study of dietary nutrition and genetic interactions to define risks for disease and to develop strategies for disease prevention.