Congratulations to Ivan Su on completing his Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering at SBME. Drawn to the program by its collaborative community and shared passion for healthcare innovation, Ivan spent his time at SBME exploring a wide range of projects focused on solving real-world medical and safety challenges, from post-surgical monitoring systems to pediatric motor vehicle safety research. Through these experiences, he developed not only strong technical and research skills, but also a deeper appreciation for the multidisciplinary nature of biomedical engineering and its potential to create meaningful impact across healthcare and beyond.
We asked Ivan a few questions about his time at SBME:
Why did you decide to study biomedical engineering at UBC?
I decided to study biomedical engineering at UBC because, during my undergrad, I realized I wanted to work in the medical field while wanting to continue to learn and grow my engineering skills in health. At the time, I already knew people in SBME, and they always talked about how supportive and collaborative the program was, along with how passionate people were about making a real impact through healthcare and innovation. As I looked more into the program, it felt like a community where people shared similar values and goals to mine, which made it feel like the right next step. Looking back now, joining SBME really helped shape the direction I wanted to take in biomedical engineering and my career.
Can you please share a couple highlights from your time in SBME? Favourite projects? Notable achievements?
There are a lot of highlights I can look back on during my time at SBME, which honestly makes it difficult to narrow it down to just one project. One of the biggest highlights for me was getting the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects that challenged me to think in different ways and apply what I learned to real healthcare problems around the world. For example, I explored and developed concepts such as a continuous monitoring and venous drainage system for post-finger replantation to help prevent tissue necrosis, while other projects focused more on evaluating current healthcare technologies and their long-term effectiveness and sustainability.
What stood out most to me throughout these experiences was not just the technical side, but also learning how to communicate ideas and solutions effectively, whether through proposals, reports, presentations, or conference papers, to make sure others understand the significance, too. Overall, one of the biggest highlights of my time at SBME was having the opportunity to explore our own ideas, look for meaningful solutions, and learn how to better share those ideas with others.
What was the most fascinating project you got to be a part of or piece of knowledge that you learned in SBME?
One of the most fascinating projects I got to be a part of was evaluating the effectiveness of child restraint systems for children ages 4–12 in motor vehicle collisions, specifically looking at how well they protect the neck through an epidemiological study. What made this project especially interesting was that we used data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to assess one of the most commonly used safety systems in everyday life. Most people would naturally assume these systems fully protect the neck, but our analysis showed that the answer is not as straightforward as it seems.
Working on this study taught me that, in real-world healthcare and safety research, not everything can be clearly explained through data alone. There are many other factors that can influence outcomes, such as how a child is seated, how forces are distributed during a collision, and differences between controlled testing environments and real-life situations. It also showed me how much there still is to learn, especially in areas like pediatric motor vehicle safety where children are not always studied as extensively as adults. Overall, this experience taught me not only how to critically assess complex problems, but also reminded me that there are still many gaps in our understanding of systems we use every day.
How do you feel being a part of student groups/SBME shaped your experience on campus?
Being a part of the SBME community has really shaped my experience on campus. It is the first time I have ever had a community that really shared the same vision and values as me. Even though everyone has their own aspirations and career paths, there is still a strong sense of collaboration where people genuinely want to help and encourage one another to grow, not only as biomedical engineers, but also as people.
Throughout my time in SBME, I also felt very supported by both the faculty and staff. Whether it was administrators and managers helping answer questions and guide students, or professors and lecturers taking the time to support our learning and give career advice, it always felt like people truly cared about student growth and success. I also really appreciated the guest speakers from different backgrounds who shared their experiences and helped motivate students by showing the many different paths possible within biomedical engineering. Overall, being part of SBME made me feel welcomed, supported, and connected to a community that genuinely wants to see each other succeed.
What do you find so exciting about biomedical engineering?
What I find so exciting about biomedical engineering is its multidisciplinary nature and how many different paths it can lead to in the future. Biomedical engineering does not just teach one specific skillset, but instead helps develop a wide range of technical, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills that are transferable across many industries. Because of that, students are exposed to many different areas and opportunities, which allows them to discover what interests them most and shape their own path moving forward.
I also think what makes biomedical engineering unique is how it helps students grow not only technically, but also personally and professionally. Whether someone chooses to continue working directly in biomedical engineering, pursue software or other engineering fields, or even go into healthcare and medicine later on, the multidisciplinary foundation of biomedical engineering creates opportunities to pursue many different futures.
What are your plans for the future or next steps?
For my next steps, I want to stay involved in the medical industry while also exploring opportunities in aerospace. I am also interested in moving towards project management roles, particularly in healthcare and medical device development, as I want to continue supporting the growing field in Canada and making a positive impact.
Project management has always been something I have been interested in, and my experience at SBME, especially my involvement in many different projects and team environments, has really helped shape who I am today. Moving forward, I want to continue building on these experiences and prepare myself for the different career opportunities that both SBME and the choices I have made throughout my journey have opened up for me.