University of Utah opens lab focused on combining engineering and medical research
Oct 25, 2024, 6:00 PM
(Ben B. Braun/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — A new research lab at the University of Utah is combining engineering and medicine to make healthcare more accessible.
The University of Utah announced the opening of the Applied Medical Engineering lab last week. The lab showcased its work on Thursday at 47 G’s Zero Gravity Summit, which focused on frontier technology.
The AME lab aims to combine engineering and medical research in order to bring healthcare to people in rural and remote areas.
Mike Kirby is the vice president for Research Strategic Initiatives at the U.
He said the research in the lab can help provide medical care to people no matter where they live. If something happens in a rural area, they will be able to get the same care as they would in a major city.
Kirby also said the new lab is a step forward for healthcare.
“The frontier, in terms of where medicine is going, is to ally itself strongly with the engineering disciplines.”
Kirby said an engineering solution can solve many roadblocks that show up in medicine.
He said they’re moving research projects from the campus’s engineering and medical schools to the lab to continue their research.
“The lab has already invested over $1 million to several research projects that can detect kidney injuries, treat heart attacks, and replace lost limbs with robotic arms,” the U said in a press release about the lab.