JoinAll Case Studies
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In keyword search, list the criteria you would like to find cases. Multiple criteria can be listed separated by commas (i.e. directed, high school)
Educational levels are defined as follows: Elementary, Middle, High School, College
Types of cases are defined as follows: Analysis/Issues, Clicker, Debate, Intimate Debate, Demonstration, Dilemma/Decision, Directed, Discussion, Interrupted, Jig-saw, Journal Article, Laboratory, Student Presentations, Mini-case, Problem-Based Learning, Public Hearing, Role-Play, Trial, Flipped, Game
Pregnancy and Influenza Vaccination
By Cecilia Coca-Aitken, Taylor Dodson, Shannon B. Seidel
This three-part case study follows “Lucia” during her first pregnancy in making an informed decision about receiving an influenza vaccine while also analyzing factors that influence vaccine coverage amongst pregnant people. Students learn about t...
By Elyse Paulson, Jessica DeCuyper, Heidi L. Pecoraro, Danielle L.J. Condry
This case study introduces students to a real-world scenario involving the investigation of the sudden death of puppies at an animal shelter. It focuses on diagnostic procedures, including autopsy, histology, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testi...
By Thanos Myloneros, Ilaria Montagni, Janet A. De Souza-Hart
This case study uses a story involving time travel to help students integrate basic concepts in immunology, sociology, psychology, bioethics, and cultural competency, which are essential for improving public health related to vaccine-preventable infe...
By Wendy A. Dustman, Sharon King-Keller, Alexandra M. Kurtz, Rebekah J. Ward
This case study presents an example of the progression of disease involving a deadly pathogen. The narrative follows an undergraduate student who interns for a wolf recovery program. During his internship, he finds and interacts with the den of a dec...
By Chandler M. Ciuba, Abigail Rohr, Min-Ken Liao, Linnea R. Freeman
In this case study, students follow the progress of “Nathan,” a competitive hotdog eating champion, as he visits his doctor and a nutritionist who explain to him his risk of developing colon cancer due to his lifestyle and family history. Colon c...
By Kristie L. Reilly, Carisa Davis, Estella Blankson, Christina Pepe
This case study explores the etiological mystery of the English sweating sickness (ESS) that threatened Europeans during the years 1485-1551 before abruptly vanishing. Numerous pathogens have been proposed to explain ESS, but none are completely sati...
A Bioinformatic Investigation of a Mysterious Meningoencephalitis
By Sari Matar, Dyan Anore, Basma Galal, Shawn Xiong
This case study gives students an opportunity to use basic bioinformatic tools to develop the skills of data interpretation and analysis. Based on an actual clinical case of a boy who contracted meningoencephalitis, students try to determine the caus...
By Kelli M. Kinlen, David M. Zuckerman
In this interrupted case study, students explore the contributions of our intestinal microbiota to our health through the story of a first-year college student suffering from gastric distress. Students investigate the normal activities of our intesti...
Molly’s Medical Mission Maladies
By William M. Kolling, Catherine D. Santanello
This case study follows “Molly,” a volunteer with an aid organization conducting annual medical mission trips to Cameroon, Africa. On their most recent trip, her team was exposed to a local outbreak of listeriosis, and Molly was prophylacti...
By Samantha N. Jewell, Julian A. Brix
This directed case study is set during the height of the COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) pandemic. The storyline follows “Alex” as he tries to understand how he contracted the disease. In order to understand viral transmission from surfaces, students are p...
By Bwalya Lungu
This directed case study is based on an actual multi-state foodborne illness outbreak that occurred in the United States from October 2015 through January 2016. The outbreak involved consumption of food contaminated by E.coli STEC O26 and was traced ...
By Obidimma Ezezika, Mona Jarrah, Shawanah Rahman
In this case study, students follow “Mr. Okoro” as he makes the long journey with his sick daughter “Ada” to seek medical attention at the nearest clinic in Enugu, Nigeria. It is the rainy season, and “Dr. Fabian” from the Division of Par...
By Sebastian A. Schormann, James E. Boyett, Samiksha A. Raut
This interrupted case study tells the story of “Michael Mathers,” a tourist traveling on a cruise ship who suddenly becomes sick. Despite receiving a preliminary diagnosis and treatment by the cruise ship doctor, Mr. Mathers’ symptoms continue ...
By Carlos C. Goller, Stefanie H. Chen, Melissa C. Srougi
This case study is designed to raise awareness of the use of high-throughput screening (HTS), the resources available at PubChem, and the potential for discovery of promising therapeutics in collections of existing drugs. Students prepare for the cas...
By Brenda F. Canine, Michael L. Dini, Breanna N. Harris
In this modular case study, students discover how the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) membrane channel protein affects multiple physiological systems. The case is divided into an introductory narrative followed by five sect...
By Kelsie J. Anson, Briana N. Van Treeck, Jake J. Flood
Cellular metabolism is traditionally taught in undergraduate biochemistry courses through the memorization of complex biochemical pathways. As such, many students find it difficult to relate the subject to current research in biology and in medicine....
By Kristiann M. Dougherty
There are a number of well-recognized physical hazards associated with running in mud obstacle races, but recent reports have also brought to light the infectious hazards that competitors may encounter. This case study contains actual data from two s...
By Ashlee E. Nelson, Sarah R. Sletten
This directed case study explores the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus and its impact on human health. The case is based on a true story of a woman who fell ill after eating raw oysters while visiting family in New Orleans during the month of August....
Becoming a Friend Instead of a Foe
By Melissa R. Eslinger, Cameron B. Marlow
This case study centers on symbiotic relationships between insects and bacteria using Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, and the recently discovered bacterial species Sodalis praecaptivus. Until recently, the only known Sodalis species of...
The Unluckiest Man in the World?
By Michaela Gazdik Stofer
This directed case study examines the immune system by introducing students to the story of Mr. Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the “Berlin patient.” Mr. Brown was the first human cured of HIV through a bone marrow transplant, which he endured a...
By Anna K.S. Jozwick, Megan M. Lee
This interrupted case study follows two college freshmen as they learn about the origin and functioning of mitochondria within our cells. The case is divided into two modules that can be taught separately or together. The first considers the origin o...
By Holly A. Basta, Sheela Vemu
This PowerPoint-driven case study follows a young woman who acquires a third-degree burn and receives a skin graft. As the graft becomes inflamed and infected, students interpret results from diagnostic tests (gram stain, MSA plates, etc.) to diagnos...
A Mysterious Illness on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
By Catherine A. Mossman
Something is killing organisms from dolphins to dogs to humans on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. What is it? How did it get to the island? How is it transmitted between organisms? This interrupted case study is designed to teach students at the ...
By Alison Kieffer, Emaly J. Piecuch, Christina Vallianatos, Sarah A. Wojiski
In this directed case study, students follow the story of “Marcus,” a recent college graduate who is working as a technician in a clinical laboratory to gain experience before applying to medical school. Marcus’ work duties suddenly shift when ...
Is There a Relationship Between Blood Type and Risk of Contracting COVID-19?
By Ashley E. Rhodes, Timothy G. Rozell
This directed case study introduces the basics of blood typing and discusses possible correlations for contracting COVID-19 by blood type. After students complete a set of activities designed to help them understand how blood type is determined at th...
By Adam J. Kleinschmit
This directed case study places students in the role of committee members tasked with developing a strategic long-term plan for building up herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the infectious agent responsibl...
By Amy C. Groth
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, was first detected in China in late 2019 and rapidly spread throughout the globe in the first few months of 2020. Efforts to slow the spread of the virus in the ...
By Laura Pickell
This analysis case study uses a jigsaw activity in which students learn about characteristics of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. The protagonist of the case, “Malik,” is a public health nurse who has been assigned to answer ph...
By Benjamin C. Davis
In this case study, students assume the role of health officials tasked with communicating to the public about the COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Topics covered include viral structure and li...
Failing to See the Forest for the Trees in Lyme Disease
By Travis J. Bailey
This clicker case study is based on the true story of Ella Buss, a young girl infected with the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Ella did not show the early signs of the disease, including the tell-tale bullseye r...
Are Vaccines and Autism Linked?
By David M. Zuckerman
This case study was written to reinforce the understanding that a successful hypothesis accounts for all relevant observations and is falsifiable through experimentation. Students evaluate two competing hypotheses to account for the increase in autis...
By Nora S. Green
Norovirus is one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea and vomiting, leading to the nickname “winter vomiting disease.” The virus is estimated to be responsible for about half of all food-borne illnesses (CDC) due to its ability to spr...
By Karen M. Aguirre
This historical case study is based upon events surrounding the deadly 1721 smallpox epidemic in Boston. It recounts the story of Cotton Mather, his slave Onesimus, and the physician Zabdiel Boylston. Urged by Mather, Dr. Boylston inoculated Bostonia...
A Shot in the Arm or a Hard Pill to Swallow?
By Dorothy P. Debbie
The immune response to a vaccine is influenced by the nature of the vaccine and the delivery method. In this interrupted case study, students traveling to a typhoid fever endemic area must decide which of two typhoid fever vaccine formulations would ...
Diagnosing and Treating Charlie’s Strange Spots
By Joseph D. Shih
This case study introduces a patient who comes into a doctor's office with an interesting set of symptoms that leads to an exotic cancer diagnosis. The case provides students with an opportunity to identify and classify patient information (signs, sy...
By Michele M. Cox
This interrupted case study reviews the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and how it may be used in the treatment of cancer. The case narrative follows "Derek," a college student who travels to Philade...
By Brian K. Sato, Eduardo Cruz-Hinojoza, Duyen Dinh-Dang
This "clicker case" focuses on the use of molecular biology concepts and techniques to protect the property of a fictional bread company. Students will address questions as to how one can "mark" a yeast strain by embedding a particular DNA sequence i...
By Kirsten L. Hokeness, Stephanie Mott
This case study introduces students to the complex field of immunology and the wide variety of host-pathogen interactions that drive evolutionary change. The case begins with a basic overview of the phases of the immune response and how each co...
Applying High-Throughput Analysis to Biofilms
By Michael L. Homesley, Jr.
This case study describes a hypothetical scenario in which a dental practice is contaminated from an unknown source resulting in multiple patients contracting the same bacterial infection. Simplified procedural information is provided for students to...
The Ebola Wars: Mission Immune Evasion
By Tracie M. Addy, Derek Dube, Jonathan O. Nardolilli, Catherine Croft, Orville C. Paynter, Alex J. Sadowski, Michael Petersen, Rumin Aidun
Through a unique anthropomorphic view and the integration of game-based learning, this case study explores how the Ebola virus can evade the immune response. In working through the case, students are challenged to examine the first, second and third ...