Global Biodesign Course

Overview

Global Biodesign: Medical Technology in an International Context exposes students to the challenges and opportunities of developing and implementing innovative health technologies to help patients around the world.

During the course, faculty and guest speakers discuss the status of the global medtech industry, as well as trends and issues affecting health technology innovation in seven primary geographic regions: Africa, China, Europe, India, Japan, Latin America, and the United States. Students explore key differences between the covered geographies, which range from emerging markets with vast bottom-of-the-pyramid and growing middle class populations, to well-established markets with sophisticated demands and shifting demographics.

In addition to participating in class discussions and case studies, students work in multidisciplinary teams with real-world companies to develop a plan for bringing an existing product to a new global market. For example, one team might work with a company based in India to examine the market for its product in China. Another might engage with a US-based company interested in entering Europe. Students interact with representatives from their chosen company throughout the quarter, as well as with a faculty mentor, and present their recommendations at the conclusion of spring term.

Please note: Global Biodesign will not be offered during the 2017-18 academic year. Please stay tuned for more information about the course in 2018-19.

Course title
Global Biodesign: Medical Technology in an International Context
Course number(s) Quarter(s)
BIOE 371
MED 271
OIT 587		 SPRING
Schedule Units
WEDNESDAY
3-5:50 pm		 3
Eligible students
Undergraduate
Graduate
Post-Doctoral
Enrollment information
No application required; enroll through Axess
Learning goals
  • Provide an overview of developed and emerging markets around the world and how innovative health technologies can help address their healthcare needs.
  • Make comparisons and highlight interdependencies between different global markets.
  • Expose students to the biodesign innovation process as a framework for identifying important unmet health needs, inventing meaningful technologies to address them, and then devising effective strategies to implement those solutions in global markets.
  • Share actionable information that innovators can use to help them make important decisions related to the commercialization of new health technologies.
  • Introduce role models and industry experts who can help guide students who are potentially interested in career paths in global health technology.

What the Students Are Saying…

“This is a valuable course that opens up the world of entrepreneurship on a global scale. The instructors are experts and excellent at relating the subject matter in an interesting way.”

“This is definitely a great class to take if you are interested in global medtech markets. The professors are very committed, and are very knowledgeable. This course is great for networking in the industry as well, and the project provides a great experience to work on a real-world problem with an actual company.”

Global Course Leaders