2.S988: Translational Engineering

Fall | Undergraduate | Units: 3-0-9 | Prereq: 2.008, 2.009, 6.101, 6.115, 22.071, 2.75, or permission of instructor

Some of the most exciting and impactful engineering work involves the translation of new healthcare technology from the benchtop to the bedside. There are countless great discoveries and technologies being developed at MIT, many of them being launched as new companies. However, stewarding new technologies into practice is challenging and fraught with failure. This course shares an in-depth view of applied design and development, with input from national leaders in the translational engineering space.

This course is seminar and project-based to provide hands-on experience into the needs at each stage of biomedical development, including pre-clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, clinical trial, venture capital, and legal considerations. Seminars are given by CEOs of start-up companies, leaders in the FDA, patent lawyers, MIT entrepreneurs and professors, journal editors, and foundation directors. To supplement the seminars, students are provided an overview of an active medical challenge and a ‘seed’ for how to start addressing the indication. The class project runs for the full duration of the semester. It involves the creation of a prototypic new company focused upon the development and translation of a medical device. Overall, this course provides an opportunity to experience the architecting of a new company and the steps toward successfully launching and commercializing a medical technology with guidance from national leaders.