Olivia Garzo Dominguez
Pronouns: She/her
Research Mentor(s): Filip Jezek
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Molecular and integrative physiology / Medicine
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Authors:
Abstract
Currently, there is a need to further develop intuitive and refined online simulation tools to teach important physical and biological concepts at educational institutions. This research project was conducted to find ways to create digital simulations to represent human physiological systems, which ultimately can be used to foster learning and deepen understanding of how they function without a need for physical body systems. When developing a simulator, proper research must be conducted beforehand to acquire a strong background understanding of the physiological system that one is going to be modeling. Multiple draft designs are done before commencing the code and assembling the model on the computer. Through the use of a virtual machine, the software OpenModelica was utilized to develop the code for the model, employing mathematical equations that link the relevant variables being explored. Then, after further processing and use of the Bodylight editor tool, the initial model design can be converted into an interactive simulator, which allows for manual manipulation of different variables to explore their effects on a particular human body system. I am still in the process of developing my first simulator, so my results from this research have not yet been finalized, however, I expect to eventually find a way to efficiently develop simulators in a relatively short time span using the Bodylight tools. Ultimately, this research supports the new revolution of teaching which involves a more digital and interactive approach. Developing these simulators to support the teaching of human physiology is imperative, especially for students who are just beginning to be exposed to this field.
