To develop solutions for healthcare’s most urgent unmet needs, the University of Washington (UW) launched the Kren Engineering-based Medicine Initiative (KEMi) in fall 2025 thanks to an extraordinary generous gift from George and Martina Kren, catalyzed by Graham Siddall.
KEMi received an overwhelming response to its first call for proposals, with a total of 83 submissions, with 70 of them being engineering-based medicine projects. In response to the enthusiasm expressed by UW faculty, the Krens increased this year's support to fund additional engineering-based projects and a special Kren-Endowed chair project.
On October 24, 2025, KEMi announced its 10 inaugural projects, which are led by 18 UW faculty members from 10 disciplines: the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, bioengineering, electrical & computer engineering, materials science & engineering, mechanical engineering, cardiology, emergency medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, ophthalmology, and rehabilitation medicine.
KEMi hosts special lecture on MRI
On October 28, 2025, KEMi hosted its first special lecture, “Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Past, Present and Future,” presented by Professor Richard Bowtell, Ph.D. Director of the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre and Professor of Physics at the University of Nottingham.
Tueng Shen named KEMi director
Dr. Tueng Shen, UW Associate Dean for Medical Technology Innovation, Professor of Ophthalmology, and Graham and Brenda Siddall Endowed Chair was officially named KEMi director in January 2026.
UW leaders toast KEMi
The UW celebrated KEMi’s exciting progress at a toast held on January 15, 2026, with UW President Robert J. Jones; Nancy Albritton, Dean of the College of Engineering; and Dr. Tim Dellit, Dean of the School of Medicine & UW Medicine CEO joined by members of the KEMi community.
Senator Patty Murray visits UW
On January 16, President Jones welcomed Washington Senator Patty Murray to UW campus. During her visit to UW Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), ECE Ph.D. student Huayu Wang (far right) presented the KEMi project: “Real Time Machine Vision to Enhance Emergency Intubation,” led by Dr. Nathan White (emergency medicine) and Professor Jenq-Neng Hwang (ECE).
