San Antonio … The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) announced today it will receive $500,000 from The University of Texas System over the next five years to develop a unique Graduate Program Initiative emphasizing biosensors and regenerative medicine. Of the 37 proposals received by the UT System from its nine academic and six health institutions, only seven were funded and only two were awarded to academic institutions. UTSA's Graduate Program Initiative builds upon existing programs in its College of Engineering and College of Sciences to prepare students for careers in academia, federal agencies and the biomedical industry.
"This program will provide qualified students with an exciting opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research in science and engineering. This unique program will allow students to integrate courses and research training in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and/or chemistry into their educational curriculum," said Dorothy Flannagan, dean of UTSA's Graduate School.
"Funding from this grant will foster and formalize new innovative collaborations among participating faculty and students," added Anson Ong, USAA Foundation Distinguished Professor and chair of UTSA's Department of Biomedical Engineering. "Each academic discipline has a different way of thinking and a different way of solving problems. By working together, the students in this program initiative will better understand the complex healthcare problems as well as finding novel and innovative solutions to solving these problems."
Regenerative medicine and biosensors are key elements for the advancement of science and the improvement of human health. Regenerative medicine allows scientists and practitioners to regenerate functional tissues in patients. Current treatments use tissues from the patient's own body or from a cadaver. However, both approaches have many potential risks. A biosensor is a device that allows scientists to detect biological chemicals such as enzymes, antibodies and disease-representing biomarkers, thereby providing early diagnosis and detection and improving treatments.
To learn more about UTSA's new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, contact Anson Ong at anson.ong@utsa.edu or (210) 458-7149. To learn more about UTSA's graduate programs, visit http://utsa.edu/graduate/.
The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and the second largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution of access and excellence, UTSA aims to be a premier public research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
UTSA serves more than 28,400 students in 64 bachelor's, 46 master's and 21 doctoral degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond.