Attack of the Macrophages: Flying Through Multiple Sclerosis

"Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system in which the body’s immune system attacks the myelin (fatty insulating sheaths) surrounding nerve fibers. The resultant damage to the nervous system affects its ability to efficiently send and receive electrical signals, disrupting neurological communication and leading to a myriad of physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms. As a student in the Biomedical Visualization program here at the University of Illinois at Chicago we learn that thorough research is required to visually communicate accurate medical information. Sometimes the only inspiration needed is a passion to learn more about the body. With a family member and close friend afflicted with MS, my personal interests challenged me to find beauty in a devastating and debilitating disease process. This image was created via 3D modeling, texturing and lighting in Autodesk 3ds Max. The final image renders were composited in Adobe Photoshop, where only a few final touches were added. "