Thesis Proposal Biomedical Engineer in United States Miami – Free Word Template Download with AI

In the vibrant, densely populated urban landscape of United States Miami, the intersection of climate change, tropical biodiversity, and demographic diversity creates unique public health challenges. As a leading biomedical engineer-in-training at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami-Dade County, I propose to address critical gaps in healthcare accessibility through innovative biomedical engineering solutions. Miami's subtropical climate fosters vector-borne diseases like dengue fever and Zika virus, which have re-emerged with alarming frequency since 2010, disproportionately affecting low-income communities near the Everglades and immigrant populations. Current diagnostic infrastructure relies heavily on centralized laboratories, creating 48-72 hour delays during outbreaks that exacerbate health disparities. This Thesis Proposal outlines a research project to develop a portable, low-cost diagnostic platform specifically engineered for Miami's environmental and socioeconomic context.

While biomedical engineering advancements have transformed global healthcare, most point-of-care (POC) devices prioritize high-income markets rather than resource-limited urban settings like those in United States Miami. Existing dengue diagnostics require $50-$100 per test and laboratory infrastructure absent in Miami's community health centers—only 27% of which have rapid diagnostic capabilities. This gap is particularly acute in neighborhoods like Little Havana and Liberty City, where 43% of residents lack reliable transportation to distant medical facilities (Miami-Dade Health Department, 2023). As a future Biomedical Engineer committed to equitable innovation, I identify the critical need for technology designed *with* Miami's communities—not just for them.

1. To design a microfluidic POC device using locally available materials that detects dengue NS1 antigen in 15 minutes at under $3 per test, optimized for Miami's humidity (75-90% RH).
2. To validate the device's accuracy against CDC reference methods using clinical samples from Jackson Memorial Hospital and community clinics across 3 Miami neighborhoods.
3. To co-design implementation protocols with Miami-Dade County Health Department to integrate the device into existing mobile health units serving underserved populations.

This research employs a human-centered engineering framework anchored in Miami's context. Phase 1 (Months 1-4) will conduct ethnographic studies with community health workers across Miami-Dade to identify workflow barriers in current diagnostics. Using FIU's Biomedical Engineering Design Lab, we'll prototype a device combining low-cost paper microfluidics (inspired by MIT’s "foldable lab" concept) and smartphone-based optical detection—critical for Miami's high smartphone penetration (95%) but limited lab access.

Phase 2 (Months 5-8) will focus on environmental resilience testing. Miami’s humidity challenges require novel hydrophobic coatings; we’ll partner with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School to simulate Everglades microclimates. Phase 3 (Months 9-12) involves clinical validation at Jackson Memorial Hospital, analyzing 500 samples across symptomatic and asymptomatic populations. Crucially, this phase includes co-design workshops with Miami-Dade Community Health Centers to ensure the device aligns with existing public health workflows.

This Thesis Proposal directly addresses two urgent priorities for United States Miami: pandemic preparedness and health equity. Dengue cases surged 150% in Miami-Dade since 2019, straining emergency departments during heatwaves that increase mosquito breeding. A locally adapted diagnostic could reduce outbreak response time by 60%, saving an estimated $2.3M annually in avoidable hospitalizations (CDC Modeling Report, 2023). More profoundly, as a Biomedical Engineer deeply embedded in Miami’s ecosystem, my work will foster a new paradigm: technology that respects cultural context (e.g., multilingual test instructions) and leverages Miami’s strengths as a hub for Latin American health innovation.

Unlike existing POC diagnostics targeting rural Africa or remote Pacific islands, this project uniquely tailors engineering to urban tropical settings. Key innovations include:

• Climate-Adaptive Materials: Using biodegradable polymers from FIU’s Sustainable Engineering Lab to prevent device failure in Miami’s humidity.
• Community Co-Design: Partnering with the Miami-Dade Health Department's "Healthy Communities Initiative" to embed feedback loops from barrio health promoters.
• Circular Economy Integration: Designing for end-of-life recyclability via Miami’s municipal composting programs, reducing e-waste in a city generating 1.2M tons/year of waste.

This research positions United States Miami as a global model for urban biomedical engineering. The completed device could be deployed through the City’s "Miami Heat" mobile health network (reaching 150,000 residents annually) and scaled to other subtropical cities like San Juan and Mumbai. For my career as a Biomedical Engineer, this project builds critical competencies in real-world implementation—moving beyond lab prototypes to community impact. It also advances FIU’s strategic focus on "Urban Resilience" by creating the first Miami-designed biomedical device with an explicit equity framework.

Phase	Duration	Key Deliverables
Literature Review & Community Analysis	Months 1-4	FDA-compliant prototype specification document + community needs assessment report (Miami-Dade focus)
Device Development & Lab Testing	Months 5-8
Miami-specific humidity resilience certification (per ASTM D7013)
Clinical Validation & Implementation Design	Months 9-12	Clinical accuracy report + Miami-Dade Health Department integration protocol

This Thesis Proposal represents a decisive step toward making United States Miami a leader in context-aware biomedical engineering. By centering community voices and environmental realities, it transcends generic technology development to create solutions that are not only scientifically robust but socially embedded. As the next generation of Biomedical Engineer emerging from Miami’s innovation ecosystem, I am committed to building healthcare tools that recognize the city's vibrant diversity as a strength—not a barrier. This research will directly support Miami-Dade’s 2030 Health Equity Plan while establishing a replicable model for urban biomedical engineering worldwide. The successful completion of this project will yield both an impactful device and a new framework for how Biomedical Engineers collaborate with communities to solve health crises where they occur.

• Miami-Dade County Health Department. (2023). *Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance Report*. Miami, FL.
• CDC. (2023). *Modeling Dengue Economic Impact in Urban Settings*. Atlanta: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Wang, S., et al. (2021). "Paper-Based Microfluidics for Tropical Diagnostics." *Nature Biomedical Engineering*, 5(8), 834–846.
• FIU Urban Resilience Initiative. (2022). *Miami as a Laboratory for Climate-Adaptive Health Tech*. Miami, FL.

This Thesis Proposal was developed in alignment with the University of Miami College of Engineering’s Biomedical Engineering Program and supported by FIU's Center for Advanced Biomedical Engineering (CABE).

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