M.S. in Biomedical Imaging FAQs

Alumni of the program have continued their education at institutions such as Northwestern University and Washington University in St. Louis. 

Additional opportunities are available through PhD programs at Cornell University, including Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics, as well as at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in areas such as Cancer Biology and Cancer Engineering.

Graduates have started their professional careers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical imaging, and healthcare sectors. 

Alumni have secured positions such as research associate, medical technologist, and radiochemist, contributing to research, technology development, and clinical operations across a range of organizations including Memorial Sloan Kettering and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

The program is designed for applicants holding a bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics or engineering. In particular, applicants should have completed undergraduate-level coursework in multivariable calculus, including Fourier analysis techniques, ordinary and partial differential equations, linear algebra, probability theory or statistics, and computer programming. 

We seek applications from students with diverse undergraduate degrees and welcome applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds. 

The application window opens September 1st. The priority deadline for submitting your application is February 1st, and the final deadline is May 1st. 

For full details, read the admissions requirements. 

Together, Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center manage one of the world's most comprehensive inventories of imaging hardware and software, providing training and research experience with MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, ultrasound and optical imaging, and image analysis services. 

• The Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center (WCM) is a state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot research facility housing the Biomedical Imaging Core Facility of the college.
• The Microscopy and Image Analysis Core Facility (WCM) offers optical microscopy, high-content automatic imaging, transmission electron microscopy, histology, and image analysis.
• The Animal Imaging Core (MSK) offers a comprehensive suite of animal imaging modalities, including MRI, PET, CT, SPECT, and ultrasound, all commonly used in clinical settings, enhancing the likelihood that findings in animal models will be translatable to human patients.

Our faculty have been at the forefront of many advances in biomedical imaging research and clinical applications, including positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), artificial intelligence and machine learning, and ultrasound localization microscopy.

Students can work in labs at both Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering, and faculty labs focus on areas of research such as: 

• Using MRI to interrogate the tumor microenvironment
• Developing non-invasive imaging tools for reliable prediction and assessment of treatment response in cancer
• Development and translation of ultrasound technology
• MRI-guided radiotherapy
• Combining machine learning and novel imaging technologies to advance diagnostics, treatment and discovery

For more details, visit the Research Groups and Facilities page. 

Answer

Students complete 28 credits of coursework and 33 credits of faculty-mentored thesis research, spending the final 15 months of the program working with their research mentor to conduct research, prepare a written thesis, and orally defend their findings before a faculty committee. 

Courses are designed to be self-contained, including development of the necessary mathematical methods. Core courses include (what would be the best to highlight?): 

• Physics in Nuclear Medicine
• Optical and Electron Microscopy
• X-Ray Methods and Computed Tomography
• Anatomy for Imaging Scientists
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Machine Learning with Images
• Ultrasound Imaging
• Health Literacy

Working with a faculty member, students pursue an independent research project focused on addressing a problem in biomedical imaging. Students are strongly encouraged to submit research results appropriate for publication to a peer-reviewed journal or national academic. Throughout the process, students become familiar with the scientific project review process used by the National Institute of Health for peer review of investigator-submitted grant proposals. 

The objectives are to:

• Identify an area of focus for the project
• Summarize previous work and identify a course of action
• Develop a plan for addressing the research question

Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences is a division of Cornell University, based out of New York City instead of the main campus in Ithaca, New York. Degrees are awarded by Cornell University. 

Weill Cornell began as a collaboration between Weill Cornell Medicine and the Graduate School of Cornell University, and was finalized as the result of an agreement between Weill Cornell Medicine and the Sloan Kettering Institute.

The M.S. in Biomedical Imaging program is unique amongst other programs for its focus on hands-on independent research, the breadth and depth of imaging technologies via the research core facilities, and its proximity to and emphasis on biomedical/clinical environments and impact.