PART I- Engineering and computational innovations have significantly promoted and advanced scientific discoveries over the last few decades. These advancements have also increased the quality and reduced the cost of healthcare, and inspired new research areas such as, precision medicine and study of the brain, also revealing the need for an increased synergy and cooperation between researchers in medicine, biology, engineering, and computer science to further fuel new technologies in those areas. The advancements also point out the urgent need for the consideration of new education directions to translate the biomedical research and engineering and science concepts into clinical research, and new curricula for the preparation of the next generation global healthcare workforce. The Advanced Study Institute on Global Healthcare Education aims to accentuate the needs of these critical emerging areas, and will bring together over 30 national and international experts to discuss the state-of-the art in these technologies including, brain initiatives, precision medicine, computational medicine, and health informatics, as well as their influences on society, and specific education requirements to prepare the highly qualified, technical workforce of the future that can adequately address the interdisciplinary needs of these emerging areas. The 3-day advanced institute will provide a unique platform for scientists, researchers, and educators to focus on translational research, engineering and science innovations and entrepreneurship, as well as the need for a paradigm shift in engineering and science education to support the cutting-edge medical technologies.
PART II- The National Academy of Engineering announced the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The committee also emphasized the importance of biomedical and biological engineering, and the need for an increased synergy and cooperation between researchers in medicine, biology, engineering, and computer science to further advance new technologies for improved, personalized healthcare. Included among these 14 challenges were: Reverse Engineer the Brain, Engineer better Medicines and Advance Health Informatics. Engineering and computational innovations have significantly promoted and advanced scientific discoveries over the last few decades. These innovations have not only impacted our daily lives, but have also increased quality and reduced the cost of healthcare. These scientific discoveries and knowledge have led to a new concept in healthcare, one that calls for the preparation of a new generation of a highly qualified workforce that has a well-rounded understanding of medical, engineering and science concepts, and is well versed in all the relevant aspects of the above mentioned areas for the new generation healthcare. This also calls for the translation of the new concept into modified science and engineering curricula, and biomedical research. The main objective of the 3-day Advanced Institute on Global Healthcare Education is to bring together over 30 national and international experts to discuss the state-of-the art in these emerging interests and innovations, including how the latest advances in the areas of science, engineering, technology and medicine, can be translated into cutting-edge curricula to prepare the technically qualified healthcare workforce of the future. The institute has hosted annual workshops providing a unique, multidisciplinary forum to discuss emerging healthcare research, challenges and opportunities, and has yielded very fruitful discussions and informative reports. To address the need identified in the previous workshop reports, this year the focus will be on novel educational directions in these emerging areas.
