About

The Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) is dedicated to stimulating and supporting Imperial’s research at the interface of engineering and biomedical sciences.  The IBME’s innovative strategy is to unite and represent the academic research groups at Imperial College London engaged in the biomedical engineering field, regardless of departmental or disciplinary affiliation.  It promotes new multidisciplinary collaborations between scientists, engineers and medics to bring fundamentally new approaches to enhance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. 

The IBME runs networks and events to bring together researchers across different subject areas, departments and campuses.  It then systematically nurtures and supports new research collaborations through fundraising, project and alliance management, industry engagement and administrative support.  After building capacity in areas of emerging interest in the biomedical engineering field, it seeks to establish new flagship research centres to deliver multidisciplinary research programmes.  External engagement is an essential element of the IBME’s strategy; resources are dedicated to representing Imperial biomedical engineers to a wide range of external stakeholders, including funding bodies, the MedTech industry, politicians and other decision-makers, on a national and global level. 

 Ultimately, our mission is to discover and develop transformative solutions for patients and clinicians in fields of unmet healthcare need by driving innovation in medical technology.  As such, the IBME actively promotes translation of its research by supporting the progression of its pioneering academic research towards clinical and commercial exploitation.  The IBME has a long heritage of translating its research clinically and commercially, through licensing and successful spin-out companies. 

The Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) was originally established as a post-graduate research facility in 2004 following an investment of £22m by the Science Research Investment Fund and the Esmée Fairbairn foundation.  The vision was to bring together Imperial’s faculties of engineering and medicine to deliver revolutionary advances in the diagnosis, treatment and management of disease through multidisciplinary medical technology innovation.  Imperial has a long heritage of applying its strength as one of the world’s top engineering institutions to the clinical challenges of the modern world across a wide spectrum of technologies and applications.    

Whilst the originally-conceived IBME research facility still exists today in the Bessemer building of Imperial’s South Kensington campus, the IBME also now embodies an expanded network of research groups across the College’s departments, faculties and campuses. The Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Research Hub, a bold new development at the heart of Imperial’s White City campus, is the centre piece co-location infrastructure for biomedical engineering research.