The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering is a pioneering joint department dedicated to the study of and research in biomedical engineering. It represents a unique collaboration between Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Institute of Technology's College of Engineering, and Peking University College of Engineering.

Named after the influential engineer and Georgia Tech alumnus Wallace H. Coulter, the department's establishment began in 1997. Georgia Tech Provost Michael E. Thomas and Emory Dean of Medicine Thomas J. Lawley formed an Advisory Committee on June 2, 1997, to develop recommendations for this innovative joint venture.

The department has achieved notable recognition, with professors Wendy C. Newstetter, Joseph M. Le Doux, and Paul Benkeser receiving the prestigious 2019 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education from the National Academy of Engineering. They were honored for "fusing problem-driven engineering education with learning science principles to create a pioneering program that develops leaders in biomedical engineering."