For medical students, learning neuroanatomy from a textbook is like trying to learn to drive from photographs; it’s technically accurate, but far from enough. The brain’s complexity demands more than flat images to truly learn it.
Recognizing this gap, Texas A&M School of Engineering Medicine (EnMed) student Duncan Salmon decided not to just struggle through it. Instead, he developed a 3D brain learning tool to help classmates and future students master neuroanatomy in a new way.
Built by Students, for Students
What began as one student’s frustration quickly evolved into a collaborative innovation. In 2022, by combining his engineering background with his medical training, Salmon started developing Medulla Mentor, an interactive, MRI-based 3D learning tool that brings neuroanatomy to life.
More than just a high-resolution visual aid, Medulla Mentor allows students to rotate, zoom and explore the brain. Interactive quizzes and game-like features transform complex material into an engaging, hands-on experience. Students can test their knowledge, earn points, and track their progress, all within the same immersive environment where they explore brain structures. The result is an experience that is educational and entertaining.
Creating the tool required technical skill, persistence, and teamwork. Salmon started with raw MRI data from a Duke University study; files that required extensive processing to make them work on laptops and iPads. He wrote more than 10,000 lines of code and partnered with fellow EnMed students Kunal Jain, Emily Minner, Gayatri Prakash, Deeksha Sarda, and Sydney Zhou to navigate Institutional Review Board processes and refine the platform.
“Dissections and static images don’t reflect what you’ll see in clinical practice,“ Salmon said. “Medulla Mentor lets students explore the brain in 3D, from multiple planes, with realistic MRI images.”
The team presented their work at conferences, always keeping their end goal in mind: a student-centered learning tool that actually works.
Recognition and Real-World Impact
Medulla Mentor’s impact has been recognized in multiple ways:
- Published in Medical Science Educator
- Earned a top poster award at the 2023 American Association of Anatomy regional conference
- Adopted into EnMed’s first-year curriculum to support incoming students
Perhaps most importantly, it has given medical students a resource that bridges the gap between classroom learning and clinical reality.
Looking Ahead
Salmon envisions expanding the platform to include more clinical applications and additional interactive features. True to the EnMed mantra of teamwork and knowledge-sharing, he hopes to pass the project to future students, ensuring the project continues to grow.
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “I’m most proud of taking an idea I came up with on my own and bringing it to life. My advice to students: build a quick prototype and share it. You never know how far it can go.”
Visit the Medulla Mentor web app here to learn more.
