Faculty in this area are studying the interactions of synthetic materials with biological systems, such as the use of bioactive polymers to affect cellular behavior, how synthetic materials can dictate engineered tissues for human use, and how engineered materials can affect human health. Established in 2010, The University of New Mexico Biomedical Engineering program quickly established an active and diverse research program. The program is highly interdisciplinary, with faculty participating from across the School of Engineering, UNM's School of Medicine and the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as other Universities across New Mexico such as New Mexico Institute of Mining at Technology and New Mexico State University. In addition, our students and faculty have extensive collaborations with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.