UNMC has joined the Global Consortium of Innovation and Engineering in Medicine.
The group, based at the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana, is an international public-private-government collaborative serving the world as the premier global network to advance medicine through engineering and innovation.
UNMC’s membership gives engineering faculty, staff and students at other University of Nebraska institutions the opportunity to take part, as well, said Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine.
“This not only opens up a new resource for UNMC faculty members, it enhances opportunities for collaboration with the University of Nebraska’s talented engineering faculty and scholars,” Dr. Britigan said.
University of Nebraska President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, who graduated from the Cornell University College of Engineering before beginning his medical studies, said engineering and medicine are a natural fit that is only becoming more impactful as breakthroughs in both disciplines continue.
“With the rapid advancement of medical technology, a robust understanding of how those technologies work and how they were developed will only improve the quality of care,” President Gold said. “This is an invaluable opportunity for UNMC students, faculty and staff that opens the door to increased collaboration and, ultimately, better care.”
UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, said the move was a logical one for UNMC, which already is embracing both innovation and collaboration with its iEXCEL program, Innovation Hub and commitment to Project Health.
“UNMC has an established history of embracing new knowledge, exploring new technologies and establishing effective partnerships,” Dr. Davies said. “Our membership in the consortium will further our ability to recognize, create and collaborate on breakthroughs that will improve the lives of our neighbors in Nebraska and beyond.”
Steven Lisco, MD, the UNMC College of Medicine’s senior associate dean for clinical affairs, discovered the consortium when he was visiting the campus and the Carle Illinois School of Medicine as a fellow of the AAMC Council of Deans.
“What’s unique about this medical school is that it is engineering-based,” Dr. Lisco said. “That’s derived from the fact that the University of Illinois has a strong engineering school, especially among public universities. The medical school specifically recruits students that have undergraduate training or interest in engineering or biomedical engineering.
“They decided to leverage that and create this Global Consortium for Innovation and Engineering in Medicine,” he said.
Michael Dixon, PhD, president and CEO of UNeMed, called the partnership fantastic news.
“The most impactful innovations happen at the intersection of disciplines, and bringing physicians and engineers together creates powerful opportunities to solve complex medical challenges,” Dr. Dixon said. “This global consortium will help accelerate Nebraska innovations and translate them into meaningful advances in health care.”
In the two years since the consortium was created, it’s grown to more than 40 universities across the world, including Maryland, University of Chicago, University of Missouri, Purdue, the National University of Singapore and others.
“With UNeMed, the recent investment in the EDGE District and our desire to grow innovation across the university and the health system, this seemed like a natural opportunity for us,” Dr. Lisco said.
Dr. Lisco said the consortium would be a resource for faculty who are interested in exploring technology, large clinical trials and human-centered research, enabling the university “to build an ethos of cross-disciplinary collaboration and exploration, perhaps using AI and large data sets to explore and solve complex medical problems that you can’t resolve in a small clinical trials.
“One of the stated areas of interest for the consortium is using AI applications to improve outcomes in rural health or underserved areas across the United States,” Dr. Lisco said. “That completely aligns with the UNMC and Nebraska Medicine mission of leading the world and creating improved health care and improved access.
“And this is not just medical school collaborations,” he said. “This is industry collaborations, as well. So, it fits with UNeMed and also might be of interest to people who are looking for new areas to explore new funding sources, given the current environment of NIH funding.”
As a full member of the consortium, UNMC has input on the strategic plan and any proposed bylaw changes and elections, Dr. Lisco said. “We can be part of creating the vision of the consortium.”