Eric Musgrave Event Blog #1 (MedTech + Art)

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On April 19th, I got the opportunity to attend a local church event that delved into advancements in healthcare and treatment of neurological diseases. I am highly interested in exploring a career in healthcare and as such, I took up the opportunity to hear from professionals in different healthcare careers.  In the event, I learned about the basic propagation of the action potential and the many ways that this signal transduction can be altered (ie. destroyed).  



Neurological diseases encompass a wide variety of conditions such as Alzheimers, muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis. However, in essence, all of these conditions represent a fundamental disconnect between neurons and the target cells that they innervate. I learned that in the case of Alzheimer's, when cells called microglia are unable to clear a build-up of proteins, plaque forms around the brain cells. In Lecture 1 of the Medtec + Art lecture, Dr. V mentions the Human Genome Project and the importance of locating all the loci and. genes associated with humans. In order to develop effective treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer's, the mutation responsible for the build up of plaque in the brain must first be identified. 



I know that it is important to learn from professionals in the field in order to take what they have done and add to it. Hence, after the presentation about the cause of neurological disorders ended, we engaged in an open dialogue about the future of medical advancements and what that looks like in practice. Stem cell research is popular in these discussions because of its ability to replace the damaged nerve cells with new, functional cells. I relate this advancement to the Ingber reading about tensegrity. He states, "tensegrity can explain how... neurites which are filled with microtubules... transmit electrical signals in the nervous system. This growth is required for the repair of nerve damage" (Ingber, pg. 52). The artistic/architectural concept of tensegrity is directly correlated with neurology and how cells communicate with one another. This parallel is one that I had not thought about before attending this event and leaves me curious to examine other ways in which art and medicine intersect. In closing, attending this event gave me invaluable hope for the future of medicine and those involved with it. Similar to the Hippocratic Oath, "I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow" (Tyson, 2001). I hope to leave a lasting impact on the world of medicine and inspire those after me to do the same.

Photo of me (far left) with some friends at the event.

Works Cited

Ingber, Donald E. “The Architecture of Life.” Scientific American, vol. 278, no. 1, 1998, pp. 48–57.
            JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26057622. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine + Technology + Art | Lectures (Lecture 1).” 25 Apr. 2024, University of   California, Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles.




hat tensegrity can explain how nerve cells extendtem. This growth is required for repair of nerve damage.

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