UCI biomedical department gets $5 million

UC Irvine’s department of biomedical engineering received $5 million from Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, the university announced Wednesday.

“Our goal is to create an interdisciplinary facility that encourages students, faculty, researchers and visiting scholars to collaborate and exchange new ideas to drive the development of cardiovascular advancements and devices,” said Steven George, professor of biomedical engineering.

The gift for advanced cardiovascular technology is slated to establish a center focused on researching and developing the next generation of cardiovascular devices.

The center will also provide a training environment for hosting prominent experts in the cardiovascular technology field. It will be located in the new Engineering 3 building, set for completion in the summer of 2009.

Edwards Lifesciences is granting the multiyear gift through the Edwards Lifesciences Fund.

— Joseph Serna