Biomedical sciences

A sub-set of biomedical sciences is the science of clinical laboratory diagnosis. This is commonly referred to in the UK as 'biomedical science' or 'healthcare science'. There are at least 45 different specialisms within healthcare science, which are traditionally grouped into three main divisions:{{cite web|url=http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_117982.pdf |title=Extraordinary You |publisher=Department of Health|page=116 |access-date=1 June 2011 |date=16 July 2010 }}

• specialisms involving life sciences
• specialisms involving physiological science
• specialisms involving medical physics or bioengineering

• Molecular toxicology
• Molecular pathology
• Blood transfusion science
• Cervical cytology
• Clinical biochemistry
• Clinical embryology
• Clinical immunology
• Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
• Electron microscopy
• External quality assurance
• Haematology
• Haemostasis and thrombosis
• Histocompatibility and immunogenetics
• Histopathology and cytopathology
• Molecular genetics and cytogenetics
• Molecular biology and cell biology
• Microbiology including mycology
• Bacteriology
• Tropical diseases
• Phlebotomy
• Tissue banking/transplant
• Virology

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• Audiology and hearing therapy
• Autonomic neurovascular function
• Cardiac physiology
• Clinical perfusion
• Critical care science
• Gastrointestinal physiology
• Neurophysiology
• Ophthalmic and vision science
• Respiratory and sleep physiology
• Urology
• Vascular science
• Pharmacology and Toxicology

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• Biomechanical engineering
• Biomedical engineering
• Clinical engineering
• Clinical measurement
• Diagnostic radiology
• Equipment management
• Maxillofacial prosthetics
• Medical electronics
• Medical engineering design
• Medical illustration and clinical photography
• Non-ionising radiation
• Nuclear medicine
• Radiopharmacy
• Radiation protection and monitoring
• Radiotherapy physics
• Rehabilitation engineering
• Renal technology and science
• Ultrasound

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The healthcare science workforce is an important part of the UK's National Health Service. While people working in healthcare science are only 5% of the staff of the NHS, 80% of all diagnoses can be attributed to their work.{{cite web|url=http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_113275 |title=Modernising Scientific Careers: The UK Way Forward |page=3 |access-date=1 June 2011 |date=26 Feb 2010 }}

The volume of specialist healthcare science work is a significant part of the work of the NHS. Every year, NHS healthcare scientists carry out:{{cn|date=April 2023}}

• nearly 1 billion pathology laboratory tests
• more than 12 million physiological tests
• support for 1.5 million fractions of radiotherapy

The four governments of the UK have recognised the importance of healthcare science to the NHS, introducing the Modernising Scientific Careers initiative to make certain that the education and training for healthcare scientists ensures there is the flexibility to meet patient needs while keeping up to date with scientific developments.{{cite web|url=http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_113275 |title=Modernising Scientific Careers: The UK Way Forward |page=5 |access-date=1 June 2011 |date=26 Feb 2010 }}

Graduates of an accredited biomedical science degree programme can also apply for the NHS' Scientist training programme, which gives successful applicants an opportunity to work in a clinical setting whilst also studying towards an MSc or Doctoral qualification.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

At this point in history the field of medicine was the most prevalent sub field of biomedical science, as several breakthroughs on how to treat diseases and help the immune system were made. As well as the birth of body augmentations.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

In 1912, the Institute of Biomedical Science was founded in the United Kingdom. The institute is still standing today and still regularly publishes works in the major breakthroughs in disease treatments and other breakthroughs in the field 117 years later. The IBMS today represents approximately 20,000 members employed mainly in National Health Service and private laboratories.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In 1928, British Scientist Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic penicillin. This was a huge breakthrough in biomedical science because it allowed for the treatment of bacterial infections.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

In 1926, the first artificial pacemaker was made by Australian physician Dr. Mark C. Lidwell. This portable machine was plugged into a lighting point. One pole was applied to a skin pad soaked with strong salt solution, while the other consisted of a needle insulated up to the point and was plunged into the appropriate cardiac chamber and the machine started. A switch was incorporated to change the polarity. The pacemaker rate ranged from about 80 to 120 pulses per minute and the voltage also variable from 1.5 to 120 volts.{{cite web |last1=Mellor |first1=Lise |year=2008 |title=Lidwill, Mark C. |website=Faculty of Medicine Online Museum and Archive, University of Sydney |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine/museum/mwmuseum/index.php/Lidwill,_Mark_C }}

The 1930s was a huge era for biomedical research, as this was the era where antibiotics became more widespread and vaccines started to be developed. In 1935, the idea of a polio vaccine was introduced by Dr. Maurice Brodie. Brodie prepared a died poliomyelitis vaccine, which he then tested on chimpanzees, himself, and several children. Brodie's vaccine trials went poorly since the polio-virus became active in many of the human test subjects. Many subjects had fatal side effects, paralyzing, and causing death.{{Cite web |url=https://www.historyofvaccines.org/timeline/all |title=All Timelines Overview |website=History of Vaccines |access-date=10 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615065603/https://www.historyofvaccines.org/timeline/all |archive-date=15 June 2020 |url-status=dead }}

During and after World War II, the field of biomedical science saw a new age of technology and treatment methods. For instance in 1941 the first hormonal treatment for prostate cancer was implemented by Urologist and cancer researcher Charles B. Huggins. Huggins discovered that if you remove the testicles from a man with prostate cancer, the cancer had nowhere to spread, and nothing to feed on thus putting the subject into remission.{{cite web |title=Evolution of Cancer Treatments: Hormone Therapy |date=June 12, 2014 |url=https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/history-of-cancer/cancer-treatment-hormone-therapy.html |website=American Cancer Society }} This advancement lead to the development of hormonal blocking drugs, which is less invasive and still used today. At the tail end of this decade, the first bone marrow transplant was done on a mouse in 1949. The surgery was conducted by Dr. Leon O. Jacobson, he discovered that he could transplant bone marrow and spleen tissues in a mouse that had both no bone marrow and a destroyed spleen.{{cite web |title=Breakthroughs: 1940s |url=https://www.uchicago.edu/breakthroughs/1940s/ |website=The University of Chicago }} The procedure is still used in modern medicine today and is responsible for saving countless lives.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

In the 1950s, we saw innovation in technology across all fields, but most importantly there were many breakthroughs which led to modern medicine. On 6 March 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk announced the completion of the first successful killed-virus Polio vaccine. The vaccine was tested on about 1.6 million Canadian, American, and Finnish children in 1954. The vaccine was announced as safe on 12 April 1955.{{cite journal | vauthors = Juskewitch JE, Tapia CJ, Windebank AJ | title = Lessons from the Salk polio vaccine: methods for and risks of rapid translation | journal = Clinical and Translational Science | volume = 3 | issue = 4 | pages = 182–5 | date = August 2010 | pmid = 20718820 | pmc = 2928990 | doi = 10.1111/j.1752-8062.2010.00205.x }}

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• Academic health science centre
• Biomedical research
• Biomedical technology
• Health Sciences Descriptors
• Healthcare science
• International Student Congress Of (bio)Medical Sciences
• Medical diagnosis
• Medical laboratory
• Medical scientist
• Public health
• Publicly funded health care

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• Biomedical research institution Austral University Hospital

{{Reflist}}

• [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216056/dh_117982.pdf Extraordinary You: Case studies of Healthcare scientists in the UK's National Health Service]
• [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences]
• [https://www.nlm.nih.gov The US National Library of Medicine]
• [https://www.nhs.uk/ National Health Service]

{{Health care}}

Category:Health sciences

Category:Health care occupations

Category:Science occupations