Leveraging the strong medical, life sciences, natural sciences, and humanities disciplines of Peking University, the Biomedical Engineering program at Peking University was established in 2003. In 2011, it received approval from the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council to establish a doctoral program in the first-level discipline of Biomedical Engineering. The Department of Biomedical Engineering is dedicated to advancing the research, development, and clinical translation of advanced medical diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, and using this platform to optimize and integrate relevant R&D strengths across Peking University, positioning the university as a source of innovation for new medical technologies that lead the world.

The main research directions of the Department of Biomedical Engineering are: biomaterials and regenerative medicine, medical instruments and medical imaging technologies, and precision medicine and health bioinformatics. Currently, the department has 2 Yangtze River Scholars, 5 recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 1 recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, as well as one Innovation Research Group funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and one engineering research center of the Ministry of Education.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering focuses on internationally cutting-edge research topics and has established extensive and in-depth collaborations with top universities worldwide. Drawing on the educational models of world-class institutions such as MIT, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Georgia Institute of Technology, the department strives to cultivate high-quality leaders in the field of biomedical engineering who are interdisciplinary, globally-minded, and socially responsible.