Course Descriptions
Professor Willett teaches a variety of bioengineering courses for undergraduate and PhD students, integrating evidence-based practices, real-world applications, and problem-based learning within an inclusive classroom environment.
This course introduces students to foundational principles in bioengineering. Topics include units, dimensional analysis, energy balances, conservation of mass, energy, and momentum, and introductory biomechanics.
The overall objective of this course is to teach students the integration and application of engineering principles, analyses, and methods for the quantitative study of the immune system in health and disease, and strategies for therapeutic modulation of immune responses. The course is aimed at integrating students’ training in immunology and engineering fundamentals to the understanding and control of immune responses. This course will establish concepts necessary for developing new engineered therapies or improve existing therapies by controlling immune cells. The topics covered in this course span from biophysical mechanics of immune cells, fluid transport, the interplay of soft/hard tissue mechanics with the immune system, host response to bioprosthetic and mechanical implants, smart material design to program immune system or evade the immune response, cell engineering, and developing micro-nano scale technologies for detection and/or manipulation of the immune system. The application area embraces a comprehensive list including infections, autoimmune disorders, cancer, allergies, implants, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disorders, aging, obesity, brain, stem cells, etc.