The Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation (MFF) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) celebrated groundbreaking on the Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine. This global collaboration with MFF makes IITK the first institute in India to integrate engineering and medicine, which has traditionally been viewed as two separate disciplines.

The physical infrastructure for the center is expected to be completed in 2024, and the first group of students will begin coursework in 2021. Initially, the curriculum will focus on regenerative medicine, digital medicine, and molecular medicine and engineering, with faculty from other IITK departments, including science and engineering, participating in curriculum design and teaching.

Students of the center will not only learn how to diagnose and treat diseases but will also focus on inventing and applying leading-edge technologies to solve challenging problems. Engineering in medicine has already led to many modern advances, including the 3D bioprinting of tissue and organs, customized implants, miniaturized medical devices, sophisticated diagnostic instrumentation, and minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery.

“The Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine will act as a catalyst for engineers and biomedical scientists to work together to improve health outcomes in India and around the world,” said IITK director Abhay Karandikar.