MATLAB for Engineering and the Life Sciences (Synthesis Lectures on Engineering, Science, and Technology)

This book is a self-guided tour of MATLAB for engineers and life scientists. It introduces the most commonly used programming techniques through biologically inspired examples. Although the text is written for undergraduates, graduate students and academics, as well as those in industry, will find value in learning MATLAB.

The book takes the emphasis off of learning syntax so that the reader can focus more on algorithmic thinking. Although it is not assumed that the reader has taken differential equations or a linear algebra class, there are short introductions to many of these concepts. Following a short history of computing, the MATLAB environment is introduced. Next, vectors and matrices are discussed, followed by matrix-vector operations. The core programming elements of MATLAB are introduced in three successive chapters on scripts, loops, and conditional logic. The last three chapters outline how to manage the input and output of data, create professional quality graphics and find and use MATLAB toolboxes. Throughout, biomedical and life science examples are used to illustrate MATLAB's capabilities.

Joseph Tranquillo is the Associate Provost for Transformative Teaching & Learning and a Professor at Bucknell University. On campus he has served as the Director of the Teaching & Learning Center, Co-Director of the Institute for Leadership in Technology & Management and co-founded the Bucknell Innovation Group and KEEN Winter Interdisciplinary Design Experience. Off campus, Joe is an American Society for Engineering Education Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society Fellow, National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Education Fellow, Senior Member of IEEE, NSF Pathways to Innovation Faculty Fellow. He has been recognized with several awards including the National Biomedical Engineering Teaching Award, ASEE Theo Pilkington Outstanding Educator, and has been nominated twice for the CASE US Professor of the Year. Joe is the author of five books and his work, conducted exclusively with undergraduates, has been featured on the Discovery Channel, TEDx and CNN Health. He has received funding from NASA, NIH, NSF, Kern Family Foundation, VentureWell Foundation, Degenstein Foundation, and the US Department of Defense. Joe has delivered intensive teaching workshops throughout the United States and internationally, including Finland, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the United Kingdom. He earned his BS from Trinity College, his PhD from Duke and was a visiting scholar at the Scientifically Computing and Imaging Institute (University of Utah) and Stanford Technology Ventures Program as well as an international visiting faculty member at Universidad Catolica de Chile in Santiago.