College of Allied Health Sciences
Department of Medical Illustration
Mandy Root-Thompson, MS, CMI, is a Certified Medical Illustrator and Assistant Professor specializing in surgical, patient education, editorial, and public health illustration, as well as medical illustration business practices.
I am passionate about preparing the next generation of medical illustrators through project-based learning that blends technical skill, creative problem-solving, and professional practice. My teaching interests include surgical illustration, patient education, journal and editorial illustration, public health communication, anatomy and cadaver drawing, and the business side of medical illustration and freelancing.
My research focuses on how visual communication can improve healthcare education and patient outcomes. Current projects include developing illustrated discharge instructions for patients with congestive heart failure and documenting the history of medical illustration certification. Broader areas of interest include patient education and health literacy, surgical and clinical illustration, journal and editorial work as tools for research, interactive media, and the professional practice of medical illustration.
