“Building” Human Health: When Doctors and Physicists Work Together

Abstract

In this article, we explore the importance of cooperation in science. Just as various construction trades must work together to build a skyscraper, scientists from separate fields can cooperate to tackle complex scientific challenges. This is called interdisciplinary collaboration, and it is a great way to do science. By bringing together knowledge and tools from multiple fields, scientists can uncover creative solutions and make meaningful connections that they might not have reached on their own. We give an example of how collaboration between particle physics and medicine—two fields that seem very different from one another—come together to improve healthcare. Using the tools of particle physics, scientists are enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment. Interdisciplinary collaboration is the best way to address many of the complex issues we face today, like controlling climate change or fighting cancer, and it can help scientists and doctors make a lasting impact on human lives and the health of our planet.