SIIM is fully funded by BCREGMED and has had two successful rounds of intake with them help of SBME, PHRI and St. Paul’s Hospital!
This year we have 3 students embedded within 3 clinical departments: Interventional Cardiology, Radiology, and Surgical Oncology. We had an outstanding amount of interest (>50 applicants) after which 15 students were interviewed and 3 students were selected.
Keep an eye on our website and newsletter for information about the next round of intakes!
Katie Chen
Engineering is about designing for people– good engineering practice begins with understanding our target users and the context of application. Yet this has been challenging for innovations in medicine because we are traditionally not trained in a healthcare setting. Through the Scientist Immersion in Medicine (SIIM) program, I was able to observe Dr. Steve Kim (cardiac surgeon) through various clinical activities and witness the impact that simple technology can have when designed well. Among which, sternum closure devices piqued my interest: the techniques were largely guided by tactile feedback, which were difficult to learn by observation. To enable the sharing of this sensory information, I proposed the development and evaluation of a model that can quantitatively profile sternum closure techniques through pressure mapping. This will enable deliberate practice in a lower-stakes environment, with the potential to reduce sternotomy-related complications throughout the learning process. My immense gratitude to Dr. Kim, SIIM program staff, and others who made this experience possible.
Alex Pieters
I am a mechanical engineer pursuing a master’s in biomedical engineering at the University of British Columbia. As a part of the Scientists Immersion in Medicine (SIIM) program, directed by Dr. Zachary Laksman, I collaborate with Dr. Andrew Thamboo to develop a project that will address a current clinical need. Dr. Thamboo is an otolaryngologist specialized in endoscopic rhinology and skull base surgery (RSBS) which consists of the diagnosis and treatment of the nasal, sinus and skull base environment through the nostrils.
Through the SIIM program, I have designed a study protocol which aims to characterize the in vitro release profile of four corticosteroids from two commercial brands of impregnated dissolvable sinus dressings over 21 days. The corticosteroid release data from the study will provide Dr. Thamboo with guidelines for selecting an appropriate sinus dressing based on the utilization goal.
The SIIM program has enhanced my study design, presentation, and networking skills. Furthermore, the program has shown me first-hand how I can leverage my engineering background to solve a clinical need. Over the coming months, my collaboration with Dr. Thamboo will continue as I will conduct the corticosteroid release profile study we designed together. I am therefore grateful to the SIIM program for this unique research collaboration opportunity between scientists and healthcare professionals. Thank you SIIM!
Michael Diaz-Stewart
During my mentoring experience with cardiac surgeons Arthur Lee and Jamil Bashir, I had the opportunity to observe heart surgeries, including transvenous lead extraction surgeries. I contributed to a small research project focused on predicting perioperative adverse events using machine learning. This valued opportunity deepened my understanding of surgical protocols and gave precious insight into what sort of biomedical engineering research is needed and relevant to practicing medical experts.