Enhancing Physics Education Through Interactive Biomedical Imaging Simulations

As part of an effort to engage students who typically do not take any physics beyond the introductory level, we developed innovative interdisciplinary courses that connect biomedical imaging with fundamental physics principles. This presentation outlines our ongoing project to enhance this curriculum through interactive simulations of medical imaging modalities. We are developing four comprehensive modules covering ultrasound imaging, radiography, nuclear imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging. These simulations and their associated learning activities will be freely available through open education platforms such as the Living Physics Portal. Our presentation will showcase examples from three completed modules: ultrasound imaging, radiography, and nuclear imaging. The simulations are designed with flexibility in mind—appropriate for both upper-level interdisciplinary physics courses and introductory physics courses for life science students. We have started collecting student feedback on how these modules affect student engagement and will present early results. This project represents a step in making physics education more relevant by connecting theoretical concepts to practical applications in healthcare and biomedical sciences.

This work is supported by the grant IUSE grants DUE-2315741 and DUE-2315742 from the National Science Foundation.