IMES

Institute for Medical Engineering and Science

Website Faculty

The Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) pioneers research and education at the intersection of engineering, science and medicine to transform human health for all.

Technical Skills

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical imaging
  • Medical devices and diagnostics
  • Computational medicine and AI
  • Genomic/molecular/cellular research

Common Careers

  • Academic Research/Faculty
  • Biotechnology
  • Consulting & Venture Capital
  • Medical Devices
  • Public Health & Policy
A woman wearing headphones and an EEG cap sits at a desk with a laptop. Behind her, a large screen displays brainwave monitoring software and data charts. The scene appears to be a neuroscience research lab.
Four students in a classroom use medical sensors attached to one students arm while another points at a laptop. Two other students watch and smile, and several other people are visible in the background.
A woman in a white lab coat adjusts sensors on a man wearing a black bodysuit in a modern lab setting. The man stands on a mat with his arms slightly raised, and various lab equipment is visible in the background.
A medical professional examines a patient’s back with a stethoscope while others, also in white coats and scrubs, observe and smile in a clinical setting.
A group of people looking at a computer.

About

Accelerating innovation in human health

We accelerate innovation in human health by integrating, nurturing, and translating MIT’s strengths in science and technology, medicine and physiology, clinical and translational research, and entrepreneurship. IMES is a portal for strategic alliances with hospitals and industry and is MIT’s home for the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST).

IMES Degrees

Graduate
  • Medical Engineering and Medical Physics (MEMP) Doctorate (via MIT)
  • Medical Doctorate (MD) (via Harvard Medical School, HMS)

Why Choose IMES?

The Medical Engineering and Medical Physics (MEMP) Doctorate  program differs significantly from many biomedical engineering (BME) doctoral programs because of its breadth and its depth in multiple dimensions. It not only emphasizes grounding in a classical discipline but also provides much more exposure to the medical sciences than most BME programs. This exposure comes in many forms, including biomedical sciences coursework in which MD students are peers, as well as through multiple clinical experiences. The MEMP program also provides an open environment that allows students to follow their interests even when they cross the conventional barriers between disciplines, professions and institutions.

Alumni tell us that the HST Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM), which is the capstone experience differentiating MEMP from traditional BME programs, is transformative and has a major impact on their careers.

MIT sits at the epicenter of a life sciences revolution, with Boston and Cambridge receiving a combined $2 billion in grants from the NIH. Varesh Prasad, a PhD candidate in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program, is focusing his research on the data hospitals collect.

HARVARD-MIT PROGRAM IN HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (HST)

The Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST), housed within the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) at MIT, unites engineering, science, and clinical medicine to drive innovation in human health. A joint initiative with Harvard, HST trains clinician-scientists and engineers to translate discoveries from bench to bedside through rigorous research, quantitative training, and clinical immersion. Its graduates lead transformative advances across medicine and biotechnology, from diagnostic breakthroughs to novel therapies.

Quick LinksAdmissions Academic Programs Finding A Lab

  1. Admissions
  2. Academic Programs
  3. Finding A Lab
HST
Five people in a lab, some in scrubs and one in a white coat, are seated around a multi-headed microscope, observing slides together. Lab equipment, computers, and paperwork are visible in the background.
A woman in business attire points to a research poster while explaining it to three men at a scientific conference. Other posters and attendees are visible in the background.
A group of people, mostly young adults, sit in an auditorium, smiling and listening attentively during a presentation or lecture. They appear engaged and interested in the speaker.
A group of medical professionals stand around a hospital bed, attentively listening to a doctor who is examining equipment connected to a patient. Everyone appears focused and engaged in discussion.
Three young adults sit at a table, focused on something off camera. One person in the foreground has a small electronic device with wires attached to their wrist. The background is a classroom or meeting room.
A male doctor wearing a white coat and tie uses a stethoscope to listen to the chest of a patient lying down in a medical examination room.
Two students closely examine and work on an electronic circuit board with wires at a table, while another student sits in the background. The setting appears to be a classroom or lab.
A group of students and an instructor stand around a table with a laptop and electronic equipment in a classroom, engaging in discussion. The instructor holds wires and smiles as he talks to the students.

Faculty Spotlights

All IMES Faculty
A woman with straight brown hair, wearing glasses and a blue top, stands in front of a plain white background, smiling gently at the camera.

Laura Lewis

Associate Professor

Read More
A doctor wearing a white lab coat and stethoscope stands in a hallway with wooden panels, hands in pockets, looking confidently at the camera.

Collin M. Stultz

Professor

MIT News
A woman in a bright blue blouse smiles with arms crossed while standing in the middle of a busy laboratory filled with scientific equipment and supplies. Large windows and lab benches line the room.

Sangeeta Bhatia

Professor

Read More
A man with short, curly gray hair and glasses, wearing a light-colored checkered shirt, sits indoors in front of a glass wall covered with handwritten notes and equations.

Thomas Heldt

Professor

MIT News
  • Chair

    Richard J. Cohen (1976) Professor

  • Department(s)

    Institute for Medical Engineering and Science; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

  • Lab

    Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)

  • Research area

    AI for Healthcare and Life Sciences; Biological and Medical Devices and Systems; Signal Processing

IMES Stories

Four women are in a lab. One woman sits wearing electrodes on her head, connected to a laptop. Two others in lab coats assist her. A fourth woman points to brainwave data on a screen and smiles.
A group of people stand indoors near a large window, attentively listening to a woman present information on a scientific poster at a professional event or conference.

Ask an IMES Engineer

Affiliated Research Labs and Centers

Sirma Orguc SM ’16 PhD ‘21 uses computational neuroscience to probe the brain’s “black box” for clues on its function.

Class Highlights

  • HST.090: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology
  • HST.207: Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Medical Engineering
  • HST.500: Frontiers in (Bio)Medical Engineering and Physics

Student Groups