The Bioengineering Graduate Program at UC Merced has its emphasis on biomolecular and cellular science and engineering and offers research opportunities, high level training and graduate courses in the following interrelated foci:
1. Molecular and Cellular Biophysics
Description: Research in this area focuses on the structural, quantitative and functional characterization of biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, and their complex interactions, in vitro and in their cellular, tissue-level and/or organismal context with the final goal of elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of life.
Keywords: Biophysics, protein folding, RNA biology, molecular interactions, cellular dynamics
Faculty: Eva de Alba, Hirosha Geekiyanage, Victor Muñoz , Anand Subramaniam
2. Synthetic Biology and Therapeutic Engineering
Description: This area focuses on the design and engineering of custom biomolecules, assemblies, cellular structures, and biological devices with applications in biomedical and biophysical research, drug design, healthcare, sustainable energy production, and bioremediation.
Keywords: Synthetic biology, drug delivery, nanomedicine, biomaterials, therapeutic engineering
Faculty: Eva de Alba, Hirosha Geekiyanage, Victor Muñoz, Anand Subramaniam
3. Biomedical Imaging and Spectroscopy
Description: Research in this area utilizes or develops advanced technologies to obtain, analyze and display images and/or structural and mechanistic information of biological systems at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels.
Keywords: Biomedical imaging, spectroscopy, microscopy, optical methods, quantitative imaging
Faculty: Eva de Alba, Victor Muñoz, Joel Spencer, Anand Subramaniam
4. Quantitative and Computational Bioengineering
Description: This area integrates mathematical modeling, physics-based simulation, and data-driven methods to analyze complex biological systems. Research emphasizes predictive modeling, inverse problems, and the development of computational tools for understanding physiology and enabling personalized medicine.
Keywords: Computational modeling, quantitative biology, machine learning, digital twins, simulation, data analytics
Faculty: Arian Aghilinejad, Arvind Gopinath, Victor Muñoz, Joel Spencer
5. Biofluid Mechanics and Physiological Transport
Description: This area focuses on fluid flow and transport processes in biological systems, from cellular-scale transport to cardiovascular hemodynamics. Research combines theory, computation, and experiments to understand how transport phenomena influence physiological function, disease progression, and diagnostic technologies.
Keywords: Biofluid mechanics, hemodynamics, transport phenomena, wave propagation, microfluidics, fluid–structure interaction
Faculty: Arian Aghilinejad, Arvind Gopinath, Joel Spencer
