The CTE IGEP seeks to train students at the confluence of tissue engineering, molecular and cell biology, and computational science. Our vision is that trainees will emerge as the leaders of the new trans-disciplinary field of “Computational Tissue Engineering”. They will be equipped to lead and develop this new field, have the training to span traditional disciplinary boundaries, and to converse in the languages of tissue engineering, molecular and cellular biology, and computational science with ease. These students will be well-equipped to address the current challenges faced by each of these fields.
CTE forges a bond between Virginia Tech’s strengths in tissue engineering (School of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering), systems biology (Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Biological Sciences, Biochemistry), and Computer Science, creating a partnership that seeks to launch the new field of “Computational Tissue Engineering”. Coursework on ethical issues (Science, Technology, and Society) raised by the proposed training and research will enable students to emerge with a holistic understanding of their responsibilities as scientists as well as to their research subjects and to society.