Biomaterials design requires more than knowledge of materials science.  It requires a synthesis of knowledge ranging from the properties of materials, to cell biology, to tissue structure and function, to the immune system response to the material, and finally, a thorough understanding of the clinical problems that are to be solved (or caused) by materials.  To this end, our course objectives include:

1. Know how biomaterials of natural and synthetic origins interact with and are recognized by cells and tissues.
2. Analyze how the physical and chemical properties of biomaterials lend themselves to specific clinical applications.
3. Synthesize knowledge to use materials in novel ways for clinical applications.
4. Explain, defend, and form positions on technical matters by oral argument so that one can be understood by clinicians, chemists, engineers, and biomedical scientists.
5. Be able to quickly digest information, gain an understanding of what information is relevant to the problem, and assess what information is missing.