High School summer course

Dr. Hung is the director of Biomedical Engineering: Physical Effects on Cells, a 3-week summer program for high school students (students entering junior or senior year) interested in the multidisciplinary field of biomedical engineering and the application of engineering principles to solving problems in biology, physiology, and medicine. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on lab activities, students work together in fixed groups of four and rotate through a series of four three-day lab projects to develop an appreciation for the role of engineering in performing biological research.

science club, Society for Biomaterials

Members of CEL are actively involved in the Columbia University Chapter of Society for Biomaterials. This group, closely connected with DLMS, a dual language middle school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, organizes a monthly science club that teaches a science concept along with a hands-on activity for the kids to remember. In addition, we hosts these same students each January as they collect data for the science fair poster boards. This year, students used a confocal microscope to determine the level of bacteria on student's foreheads and an Instron mechanical testing device to find out if colored or natural hair color produces a stronger strand. Aside from our work with DLMS, we hold professional seminars and panels here on campus and schedule site visits to nearby pharmaceutical and orthopaedic companies, as well as biotechnology incubators. One of the highlights of our year is the bi-annual trip to the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC, where our group presents scientific concepts and allows children K-12 to collect data and learn about biomaterials in their lives.