Within engineering there are many individual branches which focus on a wide range of different aspects of life. Today we are going to look into a highly specific aspect of biomedical engineering called neuroengineering. This branch of the engineering tree is a highly specialized and important branch of medical engineering, which is where some of the world’ most brilliant minds are working. We caught up with the incredible and highly knowledgeable Dr. Curtis Cripe, to find out more about what neuroengineering is, and how you could get into this field of engineering.
What is Neuroengineering?
Neuroengineering is the branch of biomedicine which deals with neurons, neural pathways and neural networks within the body. The challenge for these experts is to better understand the relationship between neurons in a neuron system, and how they can study this aspect of neurology to find ways in which we can better treat neurological issues in medicine. Neruoengineers rarely work directly with patients, they instead dedicate their time to laboratories where they constantly study and seek solutions on a range of neurological issues and various types of neuronal activity. Whilst we have a very deep understanding of the human body and its functions, there is still so much that we do not understand about the brain and the neurological functions in the body. It is the job of neuroengineering to seek solutions to problems that we face, but also to discover more about how these neurons and neuron systems work within the human body.
How to Become a Neuroengineer?
To become an engineer in this field you will need to study incredibly hard and have a natural flair when it comes to understanding the biology of the brain and the neuron pathways inside the human body. You will have to specialize and achieve high grades in all of the sciences ahead of college and then elect a college which specializes in neuroengineering. You will study biomedical engineering priori to majoring in neuroengineering, where you will need to gain a very high grade in order to find yourself a position after graduation. This is a very specific field which you will be entering into so you must ensure that you have what it takes to be successful.
What Skills Do Neuroengineers Have?
On top of having a high level of academic ability when it comes to biology and the inner workings of the body and of neurology, there are some further skills which are required to be successful in this career. You must be the type of person who pays attention to every detail, you must have a mind which is constantly looking to challenge what we think we know, and you must also have a level of humanity about you. Furthermore, you should be prepared to work very hard with little results until you can make a breakthrough, and you must be able to work as part of a close knit team.