Global
Innovation
Partnerships

Science serves humanity, transcends boundaries, thrives in diversity

100+ Global Partners, Global Classrooms, Dual Degrees, Seminars and Conversations

An Initiative to Promote Innovation through International Collaboration and Partnerships

Over the years, our faculty and alumni have built long-lasting global bridges and networks with academic and corporate partners who share our ‘life saving solutions’ mission.

The Global Innovation Partnership (GIP) Program leverages and deepens these relationships to enhance and enrich our students’ educational global experiences. Our goal is to deepen these relationships through joint research initiatives, global classrooms, advance dual degrees and other meaningful partnerships that transcend boundaries.

Meet Our Community

Essence of Innovation

"The essence of innovation lies in each individual finding the right team, the right timing and the right resources. This course/workshop taught us how much we can achieve by unifying our forces if we understand the unique milieu for each enterprise, culture and society; and genuinely raised my confidence in the splendor of young minds. Thank you for showing me how I can have a finger in the pie for an upcoming bright future in MedTech."

— Aylin Sendemir

Convergence of Two Legacies

"Prof. Sun founded the Biomedical Engineering and Science Institute. ... we uphold his legacy of academic innovation that spans the globe. When crossed with Wallace H. Coulter’s legacy of ‘science serves humanity’, our faculty and students became beneficiaries of a unique culture of academic innovation... I am but a link in the chain."

— Dr. Banu Onaral

Emerging Challenges Can Be Tackled through Global Innovation Partnership

“Our research focuses on developing sensors and methods to further understand and evaluate brain functions in operational environments. In this line of research, global exchange of expertise, global talent, knowledge and ideas help my students and colleagues address the unmet needs from the field of aviation to healthcare. On-site evaluation of the traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic shock, personalized and automated opioid delivery are just few examples of these emerging challenges, which can be tackled through global innovation partnership.”

— Dr. Kurtulus Izzetoglu

Great Networking and Opportunities

“The MedTech Innovation course provided me with a great network and opportunities. In addition to the joy of gaining new knowledge and skills, it was very exciting to meet all these great people from the US, China and Turkey”

— Eda Erbil

Tackling Larger Societal and Medical Research

“The understanding of brain functioning in the real world is the next frontier, with potential implications in diverse sectors such as healthcare, education, transportation, manufacturing, entertainment, communication, and everyday life at large. The enormous challenges within brain sciences demand a diverse and broader perspective that transcends borders. Global Innovation Partnerships are needed to begin tackling larger societal and medical research questions of our time, deliver meaningful outcomes to patients and solve mysteries of the brain mechanisms.”

— Dr. Hasan Ayaz

Bringing the World to Our Students

“Global Innovation Partnership Program is a gateway for students to experience and learn how to solve real-world problems working with innovators across displinary and geographical boundaries.”

— Jamie Mak

Diversity Is a Requirement, not a Buzzword

“In creative disciplines like biomedical engineering, diversity is a requirement, not a buzzword. Global collaborations bring together researchers who approach the same problem with the same passion but with very different approaches.”

— Dr. Kara Spiller

Disruptive Innovation

“Challenges call for critical thinking, which in turn leads to the development of disruptive technologies”

— Ozlem Yesil Celiktas

Outstanding Mentorship

“I had an outstanding mentorship inside and outside the classroom. I expanded my network and gained many skills in assessing a technology with critical thinking. I am currently creating a small consulting group with MedTech colleagues to perform different parts of the due diligence process for startup companies.”

— Roze Alzabey

Advice to Startups in the MedTech Workshop

“Your business strategy is a taped up cardboard box, and it has something in it that roughly weighs two pounds. I shake the box and indeed there is something in it. And you are asking me to buy this box for 10 thousand dollars and you claim it is a bargain. When I ask you what it is, you are telling me "just buy it and open the box to see what is in it". I am afraid I cannot buy it with this claim. It is not that I do not trust you but I must understand what I am buying. That is the reason why I am out.”

— Serdar Kiykioglu

Excellent Instructors and Teammates

“Before I enrolled in the MedTech course, I was really nervous since the content is challenging for me because of the language barrier. However, I got a lot of help from excellent instructors and teammates”

— Tianyun Gu

GIP Courses, Seminars, and Workshops

Please note that some of these courses are currently being run as ‘Special Topics’ courses.

Medical Technology Innovation

MedTech Innovation Course takes students on the global journey from the academic bench to the healthcare trench in Philadelphia, USA, in Shanghai, China and in Istanbul & Ankara in Turkey

Neuroengineering and Neuroergonomics

Neuroengineering and Neuroergonomics Course and Joint Seminar Series with Shanghai Jiao Tong University provides students the opportunity to explore recent advances in monitoring and modulating brain activity in natural settings.

Cell and Immune Engineering I

Cell and Immune Engineering Joint Seminar series with Shanghai Tech University introduces students to frontiers in cell and immune engineering and motivate collaborative research/education opportunities.

MedTech Innovation Workshop

The MedTech Innovation Workshop aims to expose early stage startups, medical technology development and transfer professionals and academics & researchers engaged in translational research to realities of medical technology innovation in a global context.

Brain|Technology Convergence I

The Brain|Technology Convergence I: Cyber-Brain Systems [BTC I] is the first in a series of transdisciplinary ‘collaborative’ courses offered by an international team of scientists and researchers drawn from human-centered and technology-driven disciplines.

International Partners by Country

China Partnerships

The School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems has formed an academic alliance with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to create an exchange of research.

Israel Partnerships

We have an inter-institutional memorandum of understanding (MOU) cooperation agreement with the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Turkey Partnerships

We are currently exploring opportunities for partnerships with Hacettepe University in: Biomedical Engineering Education and Research, On-line Education through Drexel University Online, Translational Research and Technology Commercialization

United Kingdom Partnerships

Current activities include joint seminars, lectures, hosting and advising graduate students for their thesis work.

India Partnerships

There are several International Graduate Programs in India offering an efficient path towards an MS or PhD degree, as well as undergraduate research opportunities.

Latest Projects and News

Dr. Esra Dundar Aravacik Joins Drexel University as a Visiting Scholar from Turkey’s Izmir Katip Çelebi University

Dr. Esra Dundar Aravacik is an Assistant Professor at Turkey’s Izmir Katip Çelebi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Management, Health and Medical Law.

Dr. Hasan Ayaz’s Recent Works - Global Cutting-Edge Research Recognized by the Scientific Community & Valued by Industry Partners

Our ongoing collaborative DSI project (monitoring brain on the go during navigation in a botanical museum) was featured with a cover story in Chimes magazine that can be accessed online.

Highlights of Dr. Kara Spiller’s Global Reach in Recent Years

Read more about Dr. Kara Spiller's Remarkable Global Contributions: A Spotlight on Recent Achievements

Professor Ozlem Yesil Celiktas Receives Ege University’s “Science and Engineering” Award

Congratulations to Professor Ozlem Yesil-Celiktas for receiving the Ege University’s “Science and Engineering” award.

Professor Banu Onaral Receives TUSEB Special Award

Professor Banu Onaral receives the 2023 TUSEB Special Award for her work in the fields of functional brain imaging and in recognition of major national and global initiatives that she spearheaded.

Jamie Mak, Managing Director, presents at the 2022 International Virtual Exchange Conference in Valencia, Spain

Jamie Mak presents at the 2022 International Virtual Exchange Conference in Valencia, Spain

GIP MedTech Innovation Student Wins First Prize in techIES, an International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

The ShanghaiTech 4th Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit successfully held

On December 24, the Carnival Event of the 4th Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit (IES) was held in the Conference Center. The IES was co-organized by Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center and lasted for 3 months, including 4 startup-practice lectures, 3 different industrial innovation specialties.

MedTech Innovation I Parallels Industry Ecosystems Through Diverse, Global Classroom

It takes a lot more than engineering to bring a new medical device to market, and Drexel students from various academic backgrounds can learn this firsthand alongside students from continents away and while working with real companies and potential investors.

BIOMED GIP, Istanbul Medipol University, and ITU ARI Teknokent Launch the Medical Technology Innovation Seminar Series

Drexel University's School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Global Innovation Partnership (BIOMED GIP) helped launch the Medical Technology Innovation Seminar Series at Istanbul Medipol University.

Coulter-Drexel Program Hosts Young Researchers From Japan

The Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Program was honored to host researchers from the Mansfield Foundation's Mansfield-PhRMA Research Scholars Program.

Kara Spiller Leads New Biomed Course That Introduces First-Year Students to the Growing Field of Cell & Gene Therapy

Cell and gene therapy is taught in higher-level courses, but Kara Spiller, PhD designed an interdisciplinary course for first-year students — and it features industry partners.