Knowledge-based economy in RI

Kipp Bradford (Engineering Sc.B. '95 and Adjunct Professor) shares his participation in Rhode Island's Knowledge-based economy.

Summer Insights

Brown Engineers were involved in a variety of worthwhile projects this summer:

or visit:
http://www.youtube.com/user/brownengin

Meet our new faculty

Engineering welcomed three new faculty members recently. Read more about them:
Sean Deoni
http://today.brown.edu/faculty/2009/deoni
Christian Franck
http://today.brown.edu/faculty/2009/franck
Domenico Pacifici
http://today.brown.edu/faculty/2009/pacifici

Audio Insights: Nanovis developing nanosurface technology

Listen to audio excerpts from a recent highlight interview with Professor Thomas Webster talking about his start-up company Nanovis.

Nanovis' leaders say, depending on the type of conventional implant, up to five percent can become problematic because the body rejects it, recognizing it as a foreign object because its smooth surface doesn't match the rough surface features of human tissue. However, the nanosurfaced implants Nanovis is developing feature a "roughness" that mimics human tissue, allowing the body to "accept" them. Webster says the nanosurfaced implants decrease infection, reduce the growth of scar tissue and promote the growth of healthy tissue. Listen

Using the same core idea of mimicking the natural roughness of human tissue, Nanovis is developing nanosurface technology for orthopedic, spinal, dental, cardiovascular and soft tissue implants. Listen

"It's a pretty exciting time for me as a researcher and a pretty exciting time for this mysterious sounding field of nanotechnology. There's actually real world application for this field—not just the nano iPod!" laughs Webster. "There are actual medical devices and real clinical treatments that can benefit from nanotechnology."