The interdisciplinary nature and clinical relevance of GW’s BME program attract students from across the globe and from a myriad of academic backgrounds, including recent graduate Tiba Alshammari, M.S. ‘25, who joined the M.S. BME program in 2024 from the University of Virginia, where she earned her B.A. in Cognitive Science.
Alshammari shared that she was concerned about entering the program without an engineering background, but quickly noticed how supportive and encouraging her professors and classmates were.
“I’ve learned so much, not only technical skills, but how to think creatively and design thoughtful, evidence- based solutions,” she shared.
Alshammari appreciated how she and her classmates could explore the real-world application of engineering principles in fields like orthopedics, ophthalmology, and endocrinology.
“We were always encouraged to think critically about where engineering and medicine intersect, but also to ask, ‘What’s missing? Who does this affect? How can we make it better?’ This line of thinking and questioning resonated with me, and the project-based structure of my courses pushed me to learn how to read literature, identify gaps, and build something meaningful,” she explained.
Alshammari completed her thesis under the guidance of Department Chair Dr. Vesna Zderic, exploring how low-intensity ultrasound can noninvasively stimulate the release of adiponectin. Zderic and Alshammari submitted a provisional patent application to protect their novel method and system to stimulate adiponectin release.
Alshammari hopes to see this method further developed and eventually translated into a clinical device that could be used as targeted metabolic therapy, especially for individuals at risk of disease due to obesity.
Alshammari’s experience with the BME department empowered her not only to develop novel solutions to pressing, real-world challenges but also to apply to medical schools. She says her experience with the department shaped how she hopes to approach becoming a physician. “It’s taught me to lead with curiosity, to be innovative, and to always look for deeper understanding in every challenge I face,” she concluded.