CBERS was established in 1985 and has since been identified as a Center of Excellence
at Louisiana Tech University by the Louisiana State Legislature, and more recently
by the University of Louisiana System following a comprehensive review of programs
at all of its colleges and universities. The Center develops and promotes basic and
translational biomedical research, intellectual property, strong ties with biotechnology
and the medical industry, and the educational experience and potential of our engineering
and science students in biosciences. Through its mission and vision, CBERS contributes
to the economic development of Louisiana.
The Center is actively engaged in all major fields of biomedical research. CBERS faculty
are internationally acclaimed for the interdisciplinary biomedical research they conduct
in the broad fields of Neural Engineering and Neuroscience, BioMEMS, and Nanobiotechnology.
Research laboratories support and enhance these efforts in biosignal and bioimage
acquisition and processing, computer modeling and neural networks, biosensors, drug
delivery, cell culture and tissue engineering, cancer detection, stem cells, and gene
technology. The Center promotes faculty’s entrepreneurial activities and continues
to pursue research partnerships with academic institutions, medical centers, and industry
regionally, nationally, and internationally. CBERS research sponsors include the Whitaker
Foundation, the State of Louisiana, as well as the US National Science Foundation,
National Institutes of Health, Air Force Office of Sponsored Research, Veterans’ Affairs,
and Department of Education.
CBERS provides unique opportunities for faculty and students throughout the University
to participate in a multitude of educational and research outreach activities and
programs the Center organizes. CBERS coordinates and facilitates all biomedical engineering
research activities on campus and fosters collaborative research activities among
a diverse group of faculty members with expertise that spans many academic disciplines
including Biomedical Engineering, all other engineering disciplines, the physical
and biological sciences, and the medical sciences. CBERS’s members benefit from the
Center’s history of cooperation and collaboration with Tech’s Institute for Micromanufacturing
(IfM) and Tech’s Center for Numerical Simulation and Modeling.
The Center is housed in the 50,000 square foot Biomedical Engineering Building (BMEB),
which includes staff and administrative offices, lecture halls and teaching laboratories,
core and individual faculty research laboratories with a wide range of state-of-the-art
and clinical-grade equipment. A 5,500 square feet of electronically controlled access
space at BMEB is dedicated to first-class animal research facilities with two surgical
suites, animal housing, autoclave, and storage rooms, as well as tissue and bacterial
culture laboratories with CO2 incubators, biological safety II cabinets, and filtered
air transfer hoods.
Our Mission
The mission of the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science (CBERS)
is to conduct basic and translational research in Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation
Engineering that would lead to the understanding of the mechanisms and modeling of
biological processes and phenomena, and provide solutions to problems that limit the
health and well-being of individuals. We accomplish this mission by providing a state-of-the-art
research environment that promotes the education and training in Biomedical and Rehabilitation
Engineering, encourages interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research collaborations,
generates intellectual property and stimulates the economic development of the State
of Louisiana.
Our Vision
Our vision is to develop novel biotechnology and advanced interventions, including
diagnostic and prosthetic devices, algorithms, tools, and biomaterials, that would
critically contribute to the elucidation of complex biological structures and functions,
and assist with the treatment of, and rehabilitation from, medical diseases and disorders.
To accomplish this vision we partner with industry, government, and academic institutions
throughout the State of Louisiana, nationally and internationally.
