Acute and Critical Care Engineering (ACCE) Training Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY Acute and critical care is a time-sensitive medical specialty where providers leverage biomedical technologies to save severely ill and injured patients and restore their functioning after a life-threatening accident or sudden medical emergency. Acute and critical conditions account for ~40% of hospital costs, highlighting the ongoing need for new biomedical innovations that can help providers make rapid clinical decisions, diagnose, monitor, and treat critically ill and injured patients. However, the complex and urgent nature of acute and critical care presents distinct technical and engineering challenges that most engineers are not currently trained to address. The goal of this new Acute and Critical Care Engineering (ACCE) Training Program is to equip Engineering doctoral students to collaboratively develop, test, and commercialize medical innovations that fulfill the unique design and engineering requirements of acute and critical care technologies. This program will provide trainees with a foundation in key engineering principles and techniques; understanding of the clinical and technological issues in acute and critical care; and rigorous research and commercialization skills to translate rapid, precise, easy-to-use, point-of-care tools to the patient bedside. We will enroll 2 pre-doctoral Engineering students each year (typically in their second year of graduate education), and each trainee will complete ACCE over 2 years. This interdisciplinary program will be jointly housed in the College of Engineering and the Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation, bringing together engineering, medical, and other disciplines. ACCE Program objectives are: 1) provide coordinated interdisciplinary research mentorship from a primary mentor in the College of Engineering and at least one secondary mentor in the Medical School; 2) provide tailored curriculum tracks based on trainees’ technological focus (either health IT, diagnostic/monitoring tools, or therapeutic devices), with each track comprising engineering, design, and biomedical coursework relevant to the technology area; 3) provide valuable insights into the unique clinical setting and technological needs within acute and critical care through our ACCE Clinical Immersion Program; 4) provide targeted training in the unique design requirements of acute and critical care technologies via a bi-monthly ACCE Design Studio; 5) provide coursework, guidance and workshops in product development and commercialization as well as optional biomedical industry internships to ensure trainees understand major principles of biomedical translation; 6) provide opportunities for interdisciplinary networking and feedback through other ACCE events (Journal Club, Annual Symposium); and 7) provide career development and leadership curriculum emphasizing responsible conduct of research, rigor and reproducibility, collaboration, oral and written communication, and grant writing skills. Due to the unique opportunities, skills, and knowledge provided by the ACCE Program, we expect graduates will be highly sought after for academic and industry research positions.