Biomedical Engineering for Global Health

Attention to all NUS students in Biomedical Engineering, we are excited to inform you that this coming year, we will be offering a new independent study module called “bGlobal: Biomedical Enginnering for Global Health ”.

This module will involve three components:

10-Day Field Trip Study to Timor Leste

Students and BME faculty will directly observe different modalities of healthcare and identify problems they can address from a Biomedical Engineering perspective.

Semester-Long Independent Study Module

Students will work either individually or in a two-person group to build a solution to their identified problem, meet weekly with their faculty advisor, and meet monthly with their Timor-Leste stakeholder.

International Events and Guest Speakers

Occasional events and guest speakers who have experience with Global Health, both from a Timor-Leste perspective and from more broad experiences, including an event at the Timor-Leste embassy in Singapore and talks from several NGOs that are looking to hire passionate advocates for Global Health.

This trip is being partially supported by the NUS Global Relations Office and is officially an NUS Study Trip for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER), which is sponsoring each student with 1000 SGD to defray costs. This module has been designed with Year 3 students in mind, but students from all years are encouraged to apply. As we anticipate interest in this module may be high, we are asking all prospective students to write a few paragraphs on why they are motivated to learn more about Global Health and how Biomedical Engineering can be leveraged to change the world. If you are interested in participating in this module and would like more information, please reach out to Prof. Andrew Holle (bieawh@nus.edu.sg) with any questions you might have.

Frequently asked questions

If you are interested in participating in this module and would like more information, please reach out to Prof. Andrew Holle (bieawh@nus.edu.sg) with any questions you might have.

1. What expenses will I need to cover if I am taking this module?

The overall cost per student (including airfare, accomodations, and local transport) will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 SGD, not including personal expenses (food, visas, etc). We are hoping to obtain funding to reduce this cost to approximately 500 SGD per student, which we think is a pretty good deal considering the exciting and off-the-beaten-path destination.

2. Are there any requirements (skills and knowledge) to take this module?

No concrete skills or knowledge is required to take this module beyond a willingness to learn about global health and apply basic engineering principles to an urgent problem in Timor-Leste.

3. What is the weekly commitment like?

We expect students to devote approximately 3-6 hours per week on developing their project. Most of this will occur independently, but students should expectweekly or biweekly meetings with their faculty mentor as well as monthly update meetings with their Timor Leste counterparts.

4. Is the project individual or group-based?

Students have an option to take on a project individually or in a two-person group. Exceptions can be made for project proposals, but this will be exceedingly rare.

5. Can Year 2s & Year 4s take this module?

All students can take this module. We believe that Year 3 students will have the optimal combination of classroom experience and clear schedules, but there’s no reason Year 2s or Year 4s wouldn’t be able to participate and contribute.

6. I am undertaking the Industrial Attachment Programme (IAP) for Semester 1. Will I be able to take the module?

You will be able to take this module as long as you can participate in the trip from July 30th to August 10th. There are some limitations on modules during IAP, so students should contact Prof. Holle or Prof. Corrias to discuss this further if they are pursuing an IAP.

7. I will be going on SEP/NOC in Semester 1. Will I be able to take the module?

For students interested in taking this module despite being on SEP/NOC, there may be some possibilities to participate. These students should contact Prof.Holle or Prof. Corrias to discuss this further.

Support Us!

Every garden of plenty had humble beginnings and it all began with a seed of hope. You have the power to create transformational opportunities. Are you ready to change lives for the better?

If you would like more information on how you can contribute, please reach out to Prof. Andrew Holle (bieawh@nus.edu.sg) with any questions you might have.

DONATE

NUS bGlobal - Empowering healthcare in Timor-Leste

The bGlobal team of Biomedical Engineering students visited hospitals and clinics in Timor-Leste as part of their 10-day trip.

Introduction

In a transformative and eye-opening visit to Timor-Leste, 14 students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at CDE showcased the power of education, compassion and hands-on experience in contributing to the improvement of healthcare in the country.

Under the banner of "bGlobal”, an initiative by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the students worked together with Timorese healthcare workers to troubleshoot medical devices during their 10-day stay, while also helping to identify and address critical healthcare challenges.

Among those taking part was Lakshmi Sujeesh who helped guide healthcare personnel on the usage of essential medical devices such as ultrasound and steriliser machines donated during the trip.

“The bGlobal trip to Timor-Leste opened my eyes to the difficulties faced by the locals in developing countries,” the Year 3 Biomedical Engineering student said after returning from the visit.

Members of the team at the Cristo Rei statue on the coast near the Timor-Leste capital, Dili.

Lakshmi said she observed a significant gap in training for the nationwide pharmaceutical inventory management system, leading to delays in stock delivery. She also highlighted the lack of public education on disease management, particularly for diseases like HIV and tuberculosis.

She said the experience had helped her to “see the potential of how I can contribute to helping patients have better lives”, adding “I am looking forward to finding a solution to help bridge the health gaps identified.”

Fellow student Sridhar Swetha, who describes herself as “passionate about the importance of healthcare” said the bGlobal experience was "truly one of a kind".

Working on the project, she added, “helped me to recognise better the importance of biomedical engineers especially for designing products with user needs and societal considerations, to ensure their effectiveness.”

The visit which took place in late July and early August 2023 was jointly organised with Maluk Timor, an NGO based in the Timor-Leste capital Dili that works to train and empower local healthcare workers and build a sustainable local healthcare system.

‍

Students described the experience as "eye-opening", enabling them to apply their classroom learning to develop real world, impactful solutions.

Gabriel Wong, another participant in the visit, said he had initially expected it to be a fun way to clear a core course but quickly found himself deeply involved in the project.

“Having the trip attached to a local organisation like Maluk Timor gave us a chance to work hand in hand with locals and observe them in action” he said.

“I enjoyed listening to their stories. I was moved by their passion when they shared the goals they have for their community.”

During their trip, students explored a range of healthcare facilities, ranging from national hospitals to community health clinics and health posts in isolated mountainous regions of the country, with opportunities to interact with healthcare professionals from different sectors.

Assistant Professor Dr Andrew Holle (Biomedical Engineering) who led the visit from the NUS side, said the aim of the bGlobal Timor-Leste initiative was to have students observe and experience “multiple modalities” of the Timorese healthcare system.

“They focussed primarily on observing, not intervening; their goal was to identify challenges that could be addressed from a biomedical engineering standpoint,” he said.

The group also enjoyed some of Timor-Leste's world-class snorkelling during their visit.

After returning to Singapore, the students enrolled in an independent study course and then spent the semester either individually or in pairs building solutions to a specific challenge they had identified, Asst Prof Holle explained.

With mentorship provided by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the students kept in regular contact with partners in Timor-Leste, receiving feedback on each design iteration for their proposed solution which was then presented to and evaluated by Maluk Timor.

During their stay in Timor-Leste students also engaged in two field trips, one to Atauro Island where they enjoyed some world-class snorkelling, and another to the country’s mountainous coffee-producing heartland, Ermera.

The students who took part said their proudest achievement was successfully fixing several medical devices in use at remote clinics and the National Hospital.