Information for schools
Outreach
The department of Bioengineering supports a wealth of activities as well as running specific department events aimed at raising awareness of this exciting subject, enriching teaching and supporting students and key stakeholders through the application process.
Events we run and support include Taster Days, Summer Schools, Offer Holder Days and School Visits. Further details of upcoming events can be found below and are advertised in the College Outreach newsletter.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact Jayne Shaw, our Admissions and Outreach Manager by email at be.outreach@imperial.ac.uk
Information for Schools
What is bioengineering?
Bioengineering is at the interface between engineering and medicine, by applying engineering skills we are able to solve biological and medical problems. In the Department we cover the three main areas of the discipline:
1. BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING:
Developing devices, techniques and interventions for human health.
2. BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING:
Solving problems related to the life sciences and their applications for health.
3. BIOMIMETICS:
Using the structures and functions of living organisms as models for the design and engineering of materials and machines.
Innovating Medical Technologies – The Future of Healthcare starts here!
Wednesday 11th October 14:45 -16:30
Royal School of Mines – Imperial College London, South Kensington
An introduction to Biomedical Technology Ventures for the next generation of entrepreneurs. This taster afternoon is suitable for students in Y10-12 interested in studying (or looking to study) Maths and one of the sciences at A-level.
Join us for an afternoon showcasing our new Biomedical Technology Ventures BSc course.
Dr Ben Almquist, the Director of the Biomedical Technology Ventures Programme, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial, and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, will deliver the taster lecture, ‘Pilfering Patient Pharmacies – Using Bioinspiration to Revolutionise Wound Repair’
The afternoon will also include a brief overview of our unique BSc course and our Admissions & Outreach Manager, Jayne Shaw, will be available to answer any questions on the application process.
Delivered by the Department of Bioengineering and the Imperial Business School, BSc Biomedical Technology Ventures seeks to satisfy the increasing demand for medical devices and growth of the healthcare industry. The course welcomes its first cohort from October 2023.
Applications to attend this exciting event are open to both individual students and teachers attending with a maximum of 10 students per school at the link below.
The deadline for applications is 17:00 27th of September.
https://forms.office.com/e/BtW6mkztjB
Dr Ben Almquist is the Director of the Biomedical Technology Ventures Programme, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial, and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials. His research combines aspects of materials science, nanotechnology, and biology to develop disruptive new engineered technologies for healthcare. As part of the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial, Dr Almquist has founded initiatives that bring together students in Bioengineering and medical technology companies to solve real-world problems. Now, he leads the Biomedical Technology Ventures programme, aiming to train the next generation of disruptive med-tech innovators. Before joining Imperial College London, Dr Almquist obtained his BSc in Materials Science from Michigan Technological University, his MSc and PhD in Materials Science from Stanford University, and spent time training as a National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.
HE Advisors
The Department presents annually at the HE advisors day organised by Imperial and is often invited to speak at UCAS events.
Key information for HE advisors
Maths and physics are core requirements for studying Biomedical Engineering and maths and chemistry are core requirements for studying Molecular Bioengineering at Imperial, so students should be encouraged to study these through to A-level (or equivalent).
If you have students who are interested in both engineering and medicine, biomedical engineering or molecular bioengineering may be exactly what they are interested in studying.
For 2023, together with the Business School, we are launching our BSc Biomedical Technology Ventures course which is designed to educate and nurture entrepreneurial minded students, equipping them with the skills to identify opportunities for improving human healthcare through the applications of technology and to seek to achieve rapid transfer of ideas and technology to meet those gaps through entrepreneurship.
We offer talks and workshops for schools to introduce our courses and provide an overview of the admissions process. If you want to find out more, please contact our admissions manager, Jayne Shaw
Open Days
Undergraduate Open Days are also scheduled to take place in June 2024. These days are a great way to find out about studying at Imperial.
You can find out more about our department from our Bioengineering Virtual Open Day which includes talks, tours, Q&As and other resources to help inform your future decisions.
We look forward to welcoming you to Imperial in the near future.
Recommended resources
Bioengineering interventions will improve our everyday lives from diagnosing disease earlier, enabling the disabled and improving quality of life in old age. These accessible applications mean bioengineering is a great topic to get students more interested in science, technology, engineering and maths and its relevance to them. There are lots of resources available online but here are a few we would recommend.
Primary school (age 5-11) | Secondary school (age 11-18) |
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Engineering adventures - a good introduction to engineering for primary age-group | Biobuilder - a good introduction to synthetic biology |
National STEM centre - lots of primary science and maths resources available | National STEM centre - lots of secondary science and maths resources available |
I'm an engineer - suitable for primary and secondary age-groups | I'm an engineer - suitable for primary and secondary age-groups |
BBC Bitesize Science - primary science resources | Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) - lots of competitions and resources suitable for secondary age-group |
Primary Engineer - an institute of engineering to inspire primary engineers | Isaac Physics - a range of resources to support physics and maths teaching and learning |
Crest star - primary students can solve STEM challenges through practical investigation | Crest - enables students to build their skills and demonstrate personal achievement in project work |
Summer Schools
The Department is involved in a number of Summer Schools annually.
We have now completed all 2023 Summer Schools. Dates for 2024 Summer Schools will be announced around December.
- Y9 Girls Engineering Summer School
- Y10 Insights (for 14-15 year olds)
- Y12 Sutton Trust Summer Schools (for Y12 UK state school pupils age 16-17). We offer two exciting summer schools for students interested in Bioengineering; Biomedical Engineering and Molecular Bioengineering. This is an opportunity to find out about our courses through a wealth of talks and interactive activities.
Applications will open during the second week of Januaury and close around early March.
Talks for schools
A representative from the Department is happy to deliver a live online talk about bioengineering for a school. We also offer talks and practical workshops to schools and are particularly keen to work with Y9-11 age groups as it provides us with the opportunity to speak about the importance of studying both maths with physics and/or chemistry at A-level, which are our core required subjects.
Please contact the outreach manager to discuss further and look to arrange a suitable date.
Work Experience
We are offering a limited number of work experience placements in the department for 2023. This is a non-residential programme which aims to provide participants with an insight into the exciting world of study and research that we are proud of here at the department of bioengineering, Imperial College London.
Applications for 2023 have now closed.
Hosting Bioengineering Undergraduate Students
Hosting Imperial Undergraduate Students
For Primary and Secondary Schools
Wanted - Science teaching and communication placements for enthusiastic undergraduates
After successfully running our Communicating Biomedical Science and Engineering Module for the first time in 2022-23, we are once again looking for placements for some of our 3rd and 4th year Bioengineering undergraduate students to experience science teaching and communication in action.
The placements should take place in the spring term for a total of 20-25 hours split over several sessions. Our students have a broad background and can support Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computing classes, afterschool science or coding clubs.
Testimonials from last year's Host Teachers
‘[The student] delivered a series of fascinating lessons on his research, use of AI and machine learning, and devised a brilliant problem that girls could work on over some weeks, using coding and computing skills in conjunction with chemistry. We are delighted to have hosted [the student], and are incredibly grateful for all the thought and effort that he put into the lessons.’
'Both students were very keen to be a part of the team here at the school and were incredibly proactive. The children got to know them well and thoroughly enjoyed working with them. They were a pleasure to host.'
'[The student] was an inspirational teacher and worked hard to bring abstract concepts to life. Students thoroughly enjoyed her session. [The student's] clear checks for understanding ensured students were able to confidently progress in their learning.'
'[The student] settled at [the school] very quickly. She was interested to learn everything about [the school]. [the student] built strong relationships with students and staff. She also delivered a great science lesson where students had to build their own electrical circuits. It was my pleasure to host [the student].'
If you would be interested in hosting a student, please contact Jayne Shaw at be.outreach@imperial.ac.uk
Year 10 Bioengineering Taster Day
Applications to attend our Year 10 Bioengineering Taster Day are now open for schools. Applications will close at 5pm on the 30th of November 2023. Please use the below Microsoft Form to apply for a place on the Taster Day.
https://forms.office.com/e/utqKDQ1WR4
Our first Bioengineering Year 10 Taster Day ran to huge success in January 2023, and we are excited to present the event again in January 2024. The Taster Day is for high achieving Y10 students from UK schools to discover more about the exciting subject of Bioengineering. The day will include a taster lecture and interactive workshops where they will have the opportunity to apply engineering skills and enrich knowledge from GCSE Science and Maths topics to find practical solutions to problems in health and medicine.
Please note, priority will be given to state comprehensive schools.
This event will take place in the Sir Michael Uren Hub at Imperial’s College new state of the art White City Campus.
A draft programme for the event can be found below:
Year 10 Bioengineering Taster Day - Thursday 25th of January 2024 | |
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Time | Activity |
09:30 -09:45 | Registration |
09:45-10:00 | Introduction |
10:00-10:45 | Taster Lecture |
11:00-12:15 | Workshops |
12:15-13:40 | Lunch and UG Projects |
13:45 -15:00 | Workshops |
15:00-15:15 | Bioengineering at Imperial |
15:15-15:30 | Questions & close |