Ohio State University Biomedical Engineering

What Ohio State University Biomedical Engineering does

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio State University is an academic department within the university's College of Engineering, founded in 1971 as a Center for interdisciplinary biomedical research and graduate education and formally transitioned to a full department with an undergraduate program beginning January 2008. The department is headquartered at 2124 Fontana Labs on Ohio State's Columbus campus and operates across six research domains: bioimaging, biomaterials, biomechanics, biotransport, micro/nanotechnology devices, and molecular/cell/tissue engineering. It serves undergraduate and graduate students through ABET-accredited BS, MS, PhD, and a specialized Medical Product Development (MPD) graduate program, graduating approximately 150+ biomedical engineers per commencement.

The department's research portfolio is anchored by several proprietary technology platforms, most notably Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT), a silicon nanochannel-based non-viral gene delivery system developed in the Gallego-Perez Nano-Medicine Lab that has attracted NIH Director's New Innovator Award funding and is being applied across ischemic stroke, peripheral nerve injury, Alzheimer's disease, and rare lung disease indications. Additional differentiated technologies include Ocular Pulse Elastography (Liu lab, granted U.S. patent for keratoconus detection), biodegradable magnesium alloy orthopedic implants (Locke lab), and four FDA-cleared devices plus pending IP for an extended-release 12-month ocular microcapsule from the Swindle-Reilly lab. The faculty includes 14 AIMBE Fellows across approximately 20 faculty positions, with 50% female identification.

From a revenue mechanics perspective, the department does not operate as a commercial enterprise. Its funding base consists of federal research grants (NIH, NSF, Department of Defense, American Heart Association), private foundation awards (Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation), industry partnerships (AmplifyBio, Ace Medical, Avalign Technologies, Medpace), and institutional tuition revenue processed through Ohio State University. FY26 total research expenditures are reported at $23.5M. Strategic collaborations include Nationwide Children's Hospital for ocular research, Mitacs for international research exchange, and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) student chapter for professional development and K-12 outreach.

Name

Ohio State University Biomedical Engineering

Legal name

The Ohio State University Department of Biomedical Engineering

Website

https://bme.osu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ohio State University Department of Biomedical Engineering is an academic department within OSU's College of Engineering that educates undergraduate and graduate biomedical engineers while conducting federally-funded research across bioimaging, biomaterials, biomechanics, and nanotechnology, anchored by 14 AIMBE Fellows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Biomedical Engineering

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Biomedical engineering education
• Medical product development
• Tissue engineering research
• Bioimaging and biomaterials
• Translational medical devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: Department receives federal and private research funding through NIH, NSF, DoD grants and other funding agencies supporting biomedical engineering research programs.
2. Educational Programs: Tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate biomedical engineering programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ohio State University Biomedical Engineering is an academic department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees (BS, MS, PhD) in biomedical engineering, including a specialized Medical Product Development graduate program. The department conducts funded research across six thrust areas (Bioimaging, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Biotransport, Micro/Nanotechnology Devices, and Molecular/Cell/Tissue Engineering), translating discoveries into FDA-cleared medical devices and licensed technologies.

Product overview

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio State University offers a comprehensive academic portfolio consisting of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, with the Medical Product Development (MPD) Program as a specialized offering. The department's research is organized around six core domains: Bioimaging, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Biotransport, Micro/Nanotechnology Devices, and Molecular/Cell/Tissue Engineering. The department was established in 1971 as a Center and transitioned to a full department with an undergraduate program launched in January 2008.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program (BS) Four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering for prospective students, providing foundational training across engineering, biology, and clinical applications, with the department producing approximately 150+ graduates per commencement.
• Graduate Biomedical Engineering Programs (MS/PhD)

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ biomedical engineering graduates per commencement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Robin Queen (incoming Chair from Virginia Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Virginia Tech Professor Robin Queen named new Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Ohio State, effective July 1, 2026. She will succeed Samir Ghadiali and bring leadership experience from Virginia Tech's biomedical engineering program.
• Natalia Higuita-CastrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate Professor of biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at Ohio State; research partner and spouse of Daniel Gallego-Perez; collaborates on regenerative medicine, cell and tissue reprogramming, drug and gene delivery, and cancer research projects.
• BMES (Biomedical Engineering Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent chapter of the national BMES organization providing professional development, mentorship, industry networking, and community service opportunities for BME students.
• AmplifyBiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for undergraduate internship program providing pre-clinical testing experience in inhalation toxicology for BME students.
• MitacsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian organization providing Globalink Research Award funding for international research collaborations; supports Ohio State BME undergraduate Liam Porteus for research at University of Toronto.
• Nationwide Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbus children's hospital collaborating on ocular research including visual electrophysiology clinic and multiple joint research projects with BME faculty.
• Ace Medical Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical device company partnering with BMES student chapter for 'Innovate & Regulate' workshop on medical device regulation and market strategy.
• Avalign TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical device company partnering with BMES student chapter for 'Industry's Essentials' professional development workshop.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MIT Department of Biological Engineering: MIT's biological engineering department offers similar undergraduate and graduate programs in biomedical engineering with heavy emphasis on translational research and industry partnerships. Comparable in research breadth (tissue engineering, biomaterials, biomechanics) and commercialization output.
• Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering: One of the top-ranked biomedical engineering departments in the US, with comparable research domains (biomaterials, bioimaging, neural engineering) and similar graduate education structure. Ohio State BME competes with JHU for NIH funding, faculty talent, and top graduate students.
• Stanford Bioengineering: Stanford's bioengineering department operates at the intersection of engineering and medicine with comparable research domains and strong Silicon Valley commercialization pipeline. Competes with Ohio State for elite graduate students and translational funding.

Direct peers

• Carnegie Mellon Biomedical Engineering: Pittsburgh-based BME program with similar research focus (tissue engineering, biomaterials, biomechanics) and comparable size. Competes for NIH funding, faculty recruitment, and translational industry partnerships.
• Virginia Tech Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics: Virginia Tech's biomedical engineering program is the home institution of Robin Queen, the incoming Ohio State BME chair. Comparable research scope and faculty scale; serves as a peer reference point for assessing the incoming chair's impact at Ohio State.
• University of Michigan Biomedical Engineering: Large public university BME department with comparable research scale, NIH funding levels, and translational pipeline. Big Ten peer institution with overlapping regional industry connections in medical devices and biotech.
• Duke Biomedical Engineering: Duke's BME department offers similar research breadth (biomaterials, bioimaging, tissue engineering) and operates within a major academic medical center, similar to Ohio State's relationship with its medical center. Comparable graduate program structure and industry partnership model.
• Georgia Tech Biomedical Engineering: Top-ranked public university BME department with similarly broad research domains, strong industry partnerships, and large graduate/undergraduate programs. Georgia Tech is one of Ohio State's most direct public-peer competitors for NIH funding and faculty recruitment.
• Purdue Biomedical Engineering: Big Ten peer with comparable public university scale, similar research domains (biomechanics, biomaterials, imaging), and overlapping industry partnership networks. Direct competitor for NIH/NSF funding and faculty talent.

Regional players

• Case Western Reserve Biomedical Engineering: Northeast Ohio BME program with similar research focus areas (biomaterials, tissue engineering) and overlapping regional medical device industry in Ohio. Regional peer for talent recruitment and industry partnerships in the Midwest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OhioStateBME
• Facebookfacebook.com/OhioStateBME
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-state-university-biomedical-engineering
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohiostatebme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ohio State University Biomedical Engineering