Grants Funded
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Craniomaxillofacial Education
Principal Investigator
Howie Levinson MD, FACS
Howie Levinson MD, FACS
Year
2025
2025
Institution
Sentara Hospitals
Sentara Hospitals
Funding Mechanism
Combined Pilot Research Grant
Combined Pilot Research Grant
Focus Area
Education, Cranio/Maxillofacial/Head and Neck
Education, Cranio/Maxillofacial/Head and Neck
Abstract
Project Summary
This research project aims to explore how Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies can be effectively used to train medical students in the identification of craniofacial fractures. Given the complex three-dimensional nature of craniofacial anatomy, learning to identify these fractures can be challenging for medical trainees. The project investigates whether immersive technologies like VR and AR can improve learning outcomes compared to more traditional teaching methods, such as looking at CT scans. Currently, VR and AR are gaining popularity in the healthcare industry, especially in medical education and surgical training. These technologies allow trainees to interact with realistic 3D models of the human body. For example, VR provides a fully immersive virtual environment, while AR overlays helpful digital information onto real-world views. We want to determine if these technologies can help medical students better identify craniofacial fractures and if they can learn more efficiently compared to using conventional tools.
Impact Statement
This project is important because it seeks to develop better ways to train future surgeons. As the time available for medical training decreases and the volume of knowledge expands, technologies like VR and AR could provide a valuable way to teach complex concepts without putting patients at risk. Ultimately, this research aims to create effective training methods that can be implemented in surgical education to enhance learning outcomes and improve the quality of care for patients.
Project Summary
This research project aims to explore how Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies can be effectively used to train medical students in the identification of craniofacial fractures. Given the complex three-dimensional nature of craniofacial anatomy, learning to identify these fractures can be challenging for medical trainees. The project investigates whether immersive technologies like VR and AR can improve learning outcomes compared to more traditional teaching methods, such as looking at CT scans. Currently, VR and AR are gaining popularity in the healthcare industry, especially in medical education and surgical training. These technologies allow trainees to interact with realistic 3D models of the human body. For example, VR provides a fully immersive virtual environment, while AR overlays helpful digital information onto real-world views. We want to determine if these technologies can help medical students better identify craniofacial fractures and if they can learn more efficiently compared to using conventional tools.
Impact Statement
This project is important because it seeks to develop better ways to train future surgeons. As the time available for medical training decreases and the volume of knowledge expands, technologies like VR and AR could provide a valuable way to teach complex concepts without putting patients at risk. Ultimately, this research aims to create effective training methods that can be implemented in surgical education to enhance learning outcomes and improve the quality of care for patients.
Biography
Howard Levinson, MD, FACS is a double board certified General Surgeon and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC). He is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pathology. Dr Levinson is the Director of Plastic Surgery Research and is the Principal Investigator of the Wound Healing and Fibrosis Laboratory at DUMC. Dr Levinson has an active clinical practice. He cares for patients both at DUMC and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Dr Levinson performs clinical research and leads a translational research team which is rooted in the basic science laboratory. He holds several translational patents. His team uses contemporary in vitro and in vivo disease models to understand the mechanisms of skin wound healing and scarring in both rodents and swine. His laboratory is funded by intramural as well as extramural grants. His funding portfolio includes past and present grants from industry sponsored research, foundation and society funding, and grants from the National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Dr Levinson is also a national recognized key opinion leader in the field of skin regeneration as is evidenced by his consulting for GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, Heraeus Pharmaceuticals, Exoxemis, Allergan. He serves on the Wound Care Advisory board for Cardinal Health. He had served on multiple study sections for Department of Defense and the Plastic Surgery Foundation and has multiple collaborations with investigators both within and outside of DUMC. He has served as an ad-hoc reviewer for several scientific journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Surgery, The American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology, e-PLOS, Journal of Surgical Research, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.
Howard Levinson, MD, FACS is a double board certified General Surgeon and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC). He is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pathology. Dr Levinson is the Director of Plastic Surgery Research and is the Principal Investigator of the Wound Healing and Fibrosis Laboratory at DUMC. Dr Levinson has an active clinical practice. He cares for patients both at DUMC and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Dr Levinson performs clinical research and leads a translational research team which is rooted in the basic science laboratory. He holds several translational patents. His team uses contemporary in vitro and in vivo disease models to understand the mechanisms of skin wound healing and scarring in both rodents and swine. His laboratory is funded by intramural as well as extramural grants. His funding portfolio includes past and present grants from industry sponsored research, foundation and society funding, and grants from the National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Dr Levinson is also a national recognized key opinion leader in the field of skin regeneration as is evidenced by his consulting for GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, Heraeus Pharmaceuticals, Exoxemis, Allergan. He serves on the Wound Care Advisory board for Cardinal Health. He had served on multiple study sections for Department of Defense and the Plastic Surgery Foundation and has multiple collaborations with investigators both within and outside of DUMC. He has served as an ad-hoc reviewer for several scientific journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Surgery, The American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology, e-PLOS, Journal of Surgical Research, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.