Tim Fitzgerald, MFA, CMI

Each group of images was part of a med-legal animation storyboard. Each individual frame was accompanied by a direct quote from the operative report, directions for the animators, and notes about the tools and anatomy (these were removed for privacy purposes). The surgeries shown here include a closed wrist reduction, brain injury, and ORIF of a right ankle.

This medical legal board features cervical discectomies at the C3/4 and C4/5 levels. Interbody devices and a cervical plate were placed and fixed to the bone once the herniated disc material was removed.

These illustrations are colored interpretations of cervical and lumbar disc herniations from MRI films for 2 different patients (or plaintiffs). The layouts include flat-graphic orientation images to give viewers familiarity with the level of the scans, the original MRI (cropped to the injury), and digital paintings to highlight the areas of interest.

This is an image of conotoxin and an inset of how it affects a voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC). Conotoxin is a peptide toxin created by a tropical marine snail ( Conus victoriae ). Aside from VGCCs, the toxin also targets voltage-gated sodium channels, voltage-gated potassium channels, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Conotoxins are being explored as an option for pain-relief therapy.

Some sketches from a figure drawing session at a local art museum; pose durations were between 2 and 30 minutes.

This image generalizes the electrochemical steps involved in memory depotentiation at the synapse between neurons. A stimulus activates NMDAR, which then permit calcium entry into the cell. As the cell depolarizes, VGCC activates and allows more calcium to flow into the cell. This intracellular calcium-oscillation mobilizes proteins that will eventually cause the cell to degrade the AMPA receptors by means of endocytosis. * This is a variation of an image I created for the article “Harnessing Electroceuticals to Treat Disorders Arising from Traumatic Stress: Theoretical Considerations Using a Psychosensory Model” in “Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing” .

This image, sized for a science journal, shows one effect of chlorpyrifos on the human body, particularly in the nervous system. In the ‘normal’ scenario, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (or cholinesterase) breaks down the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. In the clinical scenario, the pesticide inhibits the enzyme from working properly, thus leading to an accumulation of acetylcholine. The build-up can cause over-stimulation of nerves, muscles, and glands.

This illustration is a colored interpretation of a lumbar disc herniation and adjacent anatomy. The layout includes an orientation image to give viewers familiarity with the level of the scan.

Some sketches from a figure drawing session at a local art museum; pose durations were between 2 and 30 minutes.