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Healthcare Innovation: Engineering, Systems and Improvement

 
Abstract image of people and connections

About Cambridge

Cambridge is a world-leading centre for research and innovation in healthcare, underpinned by an extensive and vibrant community of clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and commercial and public sector organisations. In response to a growing skills gap in the sector, the Healthcare Innovation programme has been developed by the Department of Engineering, the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Renowned for both its teaching and research, the Department of Engineering's aim is to address the world's most pressing challenges with science and technology. Since its foundation in 1875, the Department of Engineering has grown to become the largest department in the University and the largest integrated engineering department in the UK. The Department of Engineering’s bioengineering and healthcare research and teaching has expanded rapidly over the past few years, having been highlighted as a strategic research theme of the Department.

The University of Cambridge performed strongly in REF 2021 (the UK's Research Excellence Framework assessment). The Department of Engineering submitted to the General Engineering Panel, in conjunction with Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and Materials Science and Metallurgy, achieving a perfect score for our world-leading environment. The overall percentage of activity rated “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” was 99% – the highest score for any university submission to the General Engineering Panel.

The Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC) is unmatched within the UK, and perhaps across the world, in terms of concentration of clinical, academic, educational, technology, pharmaceutical, and biosciences organisations.The CBC contains the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine with its 12 Departments and associated Institutes, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a major University Teaching Hospital with 1100 beds, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  and a number of directly funded research institutes.

The programme benefits from its interactions with the vibrant local medtech/biotech industry in Cambridge. Companies in the Cambridge Cluster have an annual turnover currently at £51 billion and the area is home to 15,000 employees and 440+ companies in life sciences and healthcare.

 

Staff profiles

Course Leads

Prof Michael Sutcliffe photo

Professor Michael Sutcliffe

Programme Director

Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Head of the Mechanics, Materials and Design Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

John Clarkson

Professor John Clarkson CBE FREng

Academic Director

Professor of Engineering Design (University of Cambridge); Professor of Healthcare Systems (TU Delft); Director of Cambridge Engineering Design Centre; Co-Director of Cambridge Public Health, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge; and Governor, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dr James Ward Photo

Dr James Ward

Course Director

Principal Research Associate in Healthcare Design, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, and Manager of the Centre for Engineering Better Care, Cambridge Biomedical Campus

 

Unit Leads

 
Dr Tom Bashford photo

Dr Tom Bashford

Unit 1 Lead: Research skills and innovation

Assistant Professor in Healthcare Systems, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge and Consultant Neuroanaesthetist, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Luigi G. Occhipinti CEng, PhD, SMIEEE

Unit 2 Lead: Healthcare technologies I

Director of Research in Smart Electronics, Biosystems and AI.

Prof John Clarkson photo

Professor John Clarkson FREng

Unit 3 Lead: Healthcare systems improvement

Professor of Engineering Design (University of Cambridge); Professor of Healthcare Systems (TU Delft); Director of Cambridge Engineering Design Centre; Co-Director of Cambridge Public Health, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge; and Governor, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Ronita Bardhan

Unit 4 Co-Lead: Patient and population health

Associate Professor of Sustainable Built Environment, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge

Dr Louise Lafortune

Unit 4 Co-Lead: Patient and Population health

Principal Research Associate and Lead of Life Course & Ageing Research, Cambridge Public Health

 

Dr Kirsten Rennie

Unit 4 Co-Lead: Patient and population health

Clinical Epidemiologist and Senior Research Associate at MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge

Prof Michael Sutcliffe photo

Professor Michael Sutcliffe

Unit 5 Lead: Healthcare technologies II

Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Head of the Mechanics, Materials and Design Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

Dr Jagjit Singh Srai

Unit 6 Lead: Healthcare system innovation

Director of Research, and Head, Centre for International Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

Contact details

For general enquiries on administrative matters, please email: healthcare-course-admin@eng.cam.ac.uk 

For specific enquiries about course content, please email: healthcare-course-director@eng.cam.ac.uk

Department of Engineering
Trumpington Street
Cambridge CB2 1PZ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1223 332600

Most of the residential course teaching takes place in the main site Engineering Department at the Trumpington Street site, mailing address as above. The site is comprised of three buildings: the Baker building, the Inglis building, and the James Dyson Building. Visitors should report to the reception at the Baker building.

For further details, please see here.