Medical Media and Design Laboratory (MMDL)

A new research group has been initiated headed by Professor Ara Darzi within the Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology - the Medical Media and Design Laboratory (MMDL). This group will study and redefine the way that new digital media is used in healthcare. It will develop and innovate within the technological fields of web science, the online metaverse, serious games and human interface technologies. Its focus will be on the development of novel on line technologies and how they may be best utilised for professional and public health education, medical innovation and service delivery.

Teams in the department have established ground-breaking applications for virtual worlds

Over the last 18 months a team within the Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology have established and explored ground-breaking applications for virtual worlds with a focus on innovative and efficient means for communicating complex health messages, the visualisation of future health care delivery models, medical device development, professional networking and educational tools for patients and staff.

If new digital media is to maximise its full potential in healthcare, a multi-disciplinary approach is essential. The MMDL is therefore developing a unique collaborative strategy that will dovetail with current research strategies across Imperial College London. It will bring together world-leading expertise from medical, scientific, computing, engineering and creative fields that will enable the MMD Lab to place an emphasis on robust and innovative interdisciplinary research that enhances how patients and clinicians access and utilise healthcare information. Furthermore, it will establish a new mechanism for collaborative research that ensures Imperial College is able to lead the rapid technological development in this field and maximise the commercial potential of research output where appropriate.

Please contact Dave Taylor dave.taylor@imperial.ac.uk, Programme Lead, Virtual Worlds and Medical Media, for further information.