Summer J. Decker, PhD, is the inaugural director of the Center for Advanced Visualization Technologies in Medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine where she holds appointments in Clinical Radiology, Surgery and Pathology. She also works with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and Viterbi School of Engineering. For her clinical work, she utilizes 3D modeling and printing to create patient specific models to assist in surgical planning, simulation and education. Dr. Decker’s research focuses on the clinical applications of 3D modeling and printing, the quantitative analysis of medical imaging, as well as forensic applications of medical imaging including a National Institute of Justice grant on forensic personal identification. She holds numerous patents on medical devices developed in her lab including the 3D Printed Nasopharyngeal Swab for Diagnostic Testing that was used worldwide during COVID and won the US Patent and Technology Office’s 2023 Patents for Humanity Award.