Patrick James Gallaway MD

Summary

• I am a physician, researcher, and educator who believes that the most effective way to teach complex systems is through simulation and discovery, not lectures. My career path reflects a dedication to improving healthcare education and patient outcomes, first through clinical practice and research, and now through the development of innovative educational technology.
  
  My clinical training and practice, which included a residency in Pediatrics at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and a subsequent position at Phoenix Children's Hospital, gave me a direct and often challenging view of the healthcare system's strengths and failures. This experience was the catalyst for my work in medical education, driving me to find better ways to prepare the next generation of clinicians and to empower patients with knowledge.
  
  My research has focused on lifestyle interventions in cognitive health, with my paper on physical activity and dementia included in the WHO's guidelines for dementia prevention. The methodology and drive behind that paper is the same spirit that led me to create Cellula.
  
  While I stepped away from direct clinical practice, I have not stepped away from medicine. I am now channeling my experience and frustration with traditional, lecture-based education into building simulation-based learning tools. My current project, Cellula, is a video game designed to teach cell biology through gameplay . It is a response to the failures of rote memorization and a testament to the power of learning through experience. I built the entire game, learning to code in C++ in the process, to prove that high-quality educational tools can be developed by a single person with a clear vision and a commitment to accessible knowledge.