Centers & Laboratories
Supporting facilities at both Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering features over 30 state-of-the-art laboratories dedicated to innovative research and student enrichment. Learn more about featured laboratories below.
Advanced Ocular Imaging Program (AOIP)
Led by Dr. Joseph Carroll, the Advanced Ocular Imaging Program promotes the development and implementation of translational ocular imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. AOIP seeks to develop imaging tools, software, and methodologies that enable earlier detection of ocular and systemic disease, as well as more precise disease classification.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation
Clinical Application(s): Vision, Neuroscience
Primary Faculty: Dr. Robert Cooper
BME Secondary Faculty: Dr. Joseph Carroll
Airway Biomechanics Laboratory (Airway Lab)
The Airway Biomechanics Laboratory quantifies transport processes in the respiratory tract in order to better understand respiratory physiology and develop innovative technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases.
Learn more about the Airway Lab
Technical Theme(s): Computational Systems Biology & Medicine | Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation
Clinical Application(s): Drug Delivery, Otolaryngology, Pulmonary
Primary Faculty: Dr. Guilherme Garcia
Biophotonics Laboratory
The field of Biophotonics studies the interaction between photons and biological systems. Due to the light-weight, low-cost, non-invasive nature of many biophotonics devices, the Biophotonics Laboratory focuses on the development of medical tools for use in low- and-middle-income countries.
Learn more about the Biophotonics Lab
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation
Clinical Application(s): Cancer, Pulmonary
Primary Faculty: Dr. Bing Yu
Cardiovascular Regenerative Engineering Laboratory (CaRE Lab)
The Cardiovascular Regenerative Engineering Laboratory develops living tissue replacements for cardiovascular structures with a focus on developing next-generation treatments for cardiovascular diseases.
Technical Theme(s): Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation | Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Engineering
Clinical Application(s): Cardiovascular, Regenerative Medicine
Primary Faculty: Dr. Brandon Tefft
Computational Lung Physiology Laboratory (CLPL)
The CLPL develops experimental and computational strategies to investigate lung physiology at all levels—from molecular, to cellular, to whole-organ and body. Their goal is to identify mechanisms and processes involved in lung diseases and injuries and then develop treatments for those diseases by targeting the elucidated mechanisms.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Computational Systems Biology & Medicine
Clinical Application(s): Pulmonary
Primary Faculty: Dr. Said Audi
Computational Systems Biology Laboratory (CSBL)
The Computational Systems Biology Laboratory (CSBL) uses an integrated experimental and computational modeling approach to understand kinetic and molecular mechanisms and the associated biochemical driving forces that regulate mitochondrial, cellular, and tissue/organ function and how malfunctions in the mitochondrial and cellular machinery lead to tissue/organ dysfunctions and pathogenesis of different diseases.
Technical Theme(s): Computational Systems Biology & Medicine | Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Engineering
Clinical Application(s): Cancer, Cardiovascular, Metabolic Disease, Pulmonary
Primary Faculty: Dr. Ranjan Dash
Functional MRI Research Laboratory
The Functional MRI Research Laboratory specializes in the use of MRI to assess brain function (fMRI). Researchers in the Functional MRI Research Laboratory create imaging strategies, sequences, and instrumentation related to fMRI. This specialization may include neuroscience and vision research.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging
Clinical Application(s): Cardiovascular
Primary Faculty: Dr. Kristina Ropella
Integrative Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation Laboratory (INERL)
Investigators at the Integrative Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation Laboratory (INERL) have access to six separate facilities designed to facilitate research at the cross-section of biomechanics, neural and rehabilitation engineering.
Technical Theme(s): Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering | Biomedical Imaging | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation
Primary Faculty: Dr. Brian Schmit
Integrative Neural Systems Laboratory (INSL)
The Integrative Neural Systems Laboratory (INSL) combines human behavioral studies with multimodal brain imaging and computational modeling to investigate the brain networks that control visually guided movement and determine how neurological diseases impact brain structure and function.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation
Primary Faculty: Dr. Scott Beardsley
Laboratory for Translational, Experimental & Computational Cardiovascular Research (CV T.E.C.)
CV T.E.C. investigates of cardiovascular disease from the perspective of hemodynamics, vascular biomechanics and cellular mechanisms. The ultimate goal of this research is to create programs that improve the quality of life for patients with cardiovascular disease by developing new medical device, procedural, or pharmacological initiatives.
Technical Theme(s): Computational Systems Biology & Medicine
Clinical Application(s): Cardiovascular
MARquette Visualization Laboratory (MarVL)
The MarVL works to demonstrate how visualization technology can be used in learning, research, and industry. By providing users with experiences within a realistic environment, MARVL is able to promote active learning, critical thinking, decision making, and improved performance.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging
Clinical Applications: Any
Primary Faculty: Dr. Robert Cooper | Dr. Adam Greenberg
Medical Imaging Systems Laboratory (MISL)
By applying theoretical, computational, and experimental methods to Computed Tomography (CT), tomosynthesis, and X-ray imaging, MISL focuses on the design and optimization of medical imaging systems and reconstruction algorithms, with the goal of improving image quality and reducing radiation dose.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging
Clinical Application(s): Cancer, Musculoskeletal
Primary Faculty: Dr. Taly Gilat-Schmidt
Motion Analysis Center at Shriners
OREC's Motion Analysis Center at Shriners uses advanced orthopaedic technologies to assess gait kinetics and kinematics, balance, and upper extremity motion in children, with a goal of diagnosing orthopaedic abnormalities and providing advanced therapeutic options for children suffering from the same.
Learn more about MAC @ Shriners
Technical Theme(s): Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering | Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation
Clinical Application(s): Musculoskeletal, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation
Primary Faculty: Dr. Karen Kruger
Nanomedicine and Image-guided Interventions Laboratory (NIGIL)
NIGIL investigates nanoparticles, light transport in tissue, and the integration of optical and multimodal imaging and remotely triggered nanotechnologies in its efforts to develop minimally invasive and non-toxic diagnostic and therapeutic technologies directed at cancer, pulmonary and infectious disease, and other vascular pathologies.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Computational Systems Biology & Medicine | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Cancer, Drug Delivery, Metabolic Disease, Otolaryngology, Pulmonary
Primary Faculty: Dr. Amit Joshi
Neural Engineering, Interfacing, Modulation and Optimization Laboratory (NEIMO Lab)
The NEIMO Lab employs a combination of neurophysiology, optogenetics, viral gene therapy, and optical imaging techniques to develop novel neuroprosthetic and gene therapy approaches to alleviate motor deficits caused by conditions such as spinal cord injury or ALS.
Learn more about the NEIMO Lab
Technical Theme(s): Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Trauma
Primary Faculty: Dr. Jordan Williams
NeuroMotor Control Laboratory (NMCL)
By gaining a better understanding of how the brain uses sensory information to optimize the control of motion of the arms and hands, the NMCL seeks to provide the knowledge and tools needed to develop and deliver individualized training or therapeutic interventions that optimize motor performance throughout the lifespan.
Technical Theme(s): Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering | Computational Systems Biology & Medicine | Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Vision
Primary Faculty: Dr. Robert Scheidt
Ocular and Computer Vision Laboratory (OCVL)
The OCVL is working to understand the underpinnings of vision in health and disease by imaging the retina with advanced, non-invasive imaging devices—such as the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope—and analyzing the resultant images with state-of-the-art computer vision techniques.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Vision
Primary Faculty: Dr. Robert Cooper
Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center (OREC)
OREC supports and coordinates the efforts of laboratories from Marquette University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and affiliative organizations conducting research in orthopaedic biomechanics, biomaterials, rehabilitation engineering, and human motion analysis.
Technical Theme(s): Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering
Clinical Application(s): Musculoskeletal, Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation
Primary Faculty: Dr. Gerald Harris
BME Secondary Faculty: Dr. Jessica Fritz | Dr. Karen Kruger | Dr. Jeffrey Toth | Dr. Mei Wang
Pelvic Diagnostics & Therapeutic Laboratory (PDAT)
The PDAT Lab focuses on the development of novel therapeutics, particularly electrical stimulation therapies, for treating pelvic floor diseases (with a primary focus on urinary incontinence). To improve therapy design and therapy selection, PDAT is also working on creating new, and improving current, diagnostic tools. Research is conducted at both the pre-clinical and clinical levels.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Neuroscience
Primary Faculty: Dr. Jim Hokanson
Rey Laboratory (ReyLab)
ReyLab seeks to answer critical questions in cognitive and clinical neuroscience by capturing recording of neural activity in the human brain. With captured data, ReyLab furthers understanding of epilepsy and human episodic memory while developing new tools for acquisition and analysis of electrophysiological data.
Technical Theme(s): Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Neuroscience
BME Secondary Faculty: Dr. Hernan Rey
Sensory Neuroscience, Attention and Perception Laboratory (SNAP Lab)
With the use of psychophysical and neuroimaging methods—including MRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation diffusion spectrum imaging and computation modeling—the SNAP Lab studies the neurobiology of attention and perception in the visual, auditory, and olfactory domains to understand perception's effect on human behavior.
Technical Theme(s): Biomedical Imaging | Neural Engineering & Neurorehabilitation
Clinical Application(s): Cancer, Neuroscience, Orthopaedics, Vision
Primary Faculty: Dr. Adam Greenberg
Tissue Regenerative Engineering Laboratory (TRE Lab)
In an effort provide advanced therapeutic options for such conditions as birth defects, bone disorders, liver and vascular diseases, the TRE Lab seeks to develop bio-functional engineered tissues. To do this, the TRE Lab will first develop a greater understanding of the biological and molecular processes involved in regenerative progression.
Technical Theme(s): Medical Devices & Bioinstrumentation | Molecular, Cellular & Tissue Engineering
Clinical Application(s): Cardiovascular, Drug Delivery, Regenerative Medicine
Primary Faculty: Dr. Bo Wang
Wisconsin Crash Injury Research Engineering Network Center (CIREN Center)
The Crash Injury Research & Engineering Network (CIREN) seeks to improve the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of motor vehicle crash injuries to reduce deaths, disabilities, and human and economic costs. Operated under a contract from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Wisconsin CIREN Center provides expert analysis and reconstruction of crash case histories, offering novel insight into the biomechanics of injury to humans in motor vehicle accidents.
Learn more about the Wisconsin CIREN Center
Technical Theme(s): Biomechanics & Rehabilitation Bioengineering
Clinical Application(s): Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Trauma
Primary Faculty: Dr. Frank Pintar | Dr. Karthik Somasundaram
Zablocki VA Medical Center Laboratories (ZVAMC Labs)
The Zablocki VA Medical Center Laboratories specialize in neuroscience and biomechanics of trauma to the spine. Ongoing investigations include vehicle crashworthiness, computational modeling of injury to the spine, preclinical traumatic brain injury, brain-computer interfaces for spinal cord injury, and more.
Learn more about the ZVAMC Labs
Technical Theme(s): Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Bioengineering
Clinical Application(s): Musculoskeletal, Neuroscience, Trauma, Orthopaedics
Primary Faculty: Dr. Frank Pintar | Dr. Karthik Somasundaram | Dr. Brian Stemper | Dr. Jordan Williams
BME Secondary Faculty: Dr. Narayan Yoganandan
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