STEMTalks: Being a Biomedical Engineer
Part 2 of this series explores what a Biomedical Engineer does and why it is important to society!
(Part 2 of 2)
Want to be at the forefront of life-changing or life-saving devices? Bioengineering lets you do just that!
In this AAAS STEMTalk episode, we interview Dr. Ana Maria Porras, a Biomedical Engineer and Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Cornell University. Part 2 of this video series will explore what a Biomedical Engineer does and why it is important to society!
Be sure to check the first part of the series that explores Dr. Porras’ academic career and why she ultimately became a university professor.
Resources:
AAAS STEMTalks: Being a Biomedical Engineering video (video to the right)
AAAS STEMTalks: Becoming a Biomedical Engineer Part 1
Dr. Porras’ personal website
Dr. Porras Explaining Her Research in Under 3 Minutes
The Insides to Your Insides (optional read)
Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes (optional read)
Further Exploration:
After watching both videos in this series, can you answer these questions:
What is a microbe? (Hint: see 00:00 -00:04 in the Part 1 video)
How can your gut microbes change? (Hint: see 00:53 - 01:15 in the video)
What are four different things a microbe can do for us? (Hint: see 01:58 - 02:48 in the video)
How does Dr. Porras communicate her microbe research to audiences? (Hint: see 02:57)
Finally, what do some microbes, an engineer, and yarn have in common? (Hint: see 03:33 - 03:48)
If you want to ask Dr. Porras a question, please write it in the comment section at the bottom of this activity.
To Do or Learn More:
Scroll though the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Milestones of Innovation timeline. AIMBE showcases the advancements in both Medical and Biological Engineering over more than the past 100 years. These technologies represent the great achievements of the bio/medical engineering community.
Forbes calls Biomedical Engineering “The High-Paying, Low-Stress STEM Job You Probably Haven’t Considered”. If you have interest in this career, read this Mendeley article, to learn about what is a Biomedical Engineer and what are the career opportunities?
Microbes are central to almost every aspect of biology, but talking to very young children about microscopic life is difficult. The Book Prize Winner, Tiny Creatures, demonstrates how a conceptually difficult topic can be effectively introduced to the very young by tapping into prior knowledge of the world they can see and experience through their senses.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections has a portal that provides relevant career information in an online Occupational Outlook Handbook (OHH). Explore their collected information in the Biomedical Engineers OHH.