Mission and Commitment to Education

University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, has a sharply focused objective: to exploit specific biological recognition mechanisms in order to develop a new generation of biomaterials for medical implants that will heal in the body in a facile, physiologically normal manner.

UWEB brings together a cross-disciplinary team of materials scientists, molecular biologists, biomolecular engineers, biomaterials researchers, bioengineers and physicians, as well as industry leaders in the biomaterials field. The team is driven by sharply focused hypotheses addressing the reasons for poor healing in existing materials and the requirements for triggering normal healing. The combined resources (people, facilities, equipment) in this consortium create the synergy needed to bring our goal to fruition. The UWEB consortium aims to develop a seamless partnership between academic researchers, students and industry, featuring scientific exploration, materials engineering, manufacturing strategies, pre-clinical testing and advanced education.

Commitment to education has been key to UWEB's mission. Over the years UWEB developed innovative undergraduate, graduate, and post-doc programs, seminar series, a heart health education program, and many "K-Gray" outreach activities as well as an undergraduate engineering research journal.