A prominent biotechnology company is investing in UF’s biomedical engineering department.
BioD is giving $1 million to the UF Department of Biomedical Engineering to sponsor research in the field of regenerative medicine, which involves the body’s natural regeneration of tissue.
“(Regenerative medicine) allows us to develop systems that we can implant into the body that serve as an internal Band-Aid,” said Christine Schmidt, a professor and the chairwoman of the biomedical engineering department.
BioD’s motto, “Enhancing Life Through Birth,” embodies its mission to develop therapies for the body to naturally assist itself, as opposed to relying on the current artificial technologies in place, Schmidt said.
The majority of the endowment will fund a professorship, allowing a faculty member to further develop his or her research, Schmidt said.
Anthony Davis, a 21-year-old UF biomedical engineering junior, said conducting research is critical to the advancement of the field.
“Without research, you wouldn’t be able to create new technology and new treatment for patients,” Davis said.
Davis said he hopes to put his degree to use after graduation by creating prosthetics, specifically for veterans.
“(Biomedical engineering) has always been something I’ve been interested in because it helps so many people,” Davis said. “We can see an actual change as a result of the work we do.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 4/6/2015 under the headline “Biotech firm to invest $1 million in UF”]
