Jen Ma

Portfolio Science Communication & Art
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On Growth and Form

On Growth and Form

◄  Commissioned cover design (in collaboration with architect and designer Matthew Spremulli) for Development's special issue On Growth and Form–100 Years On.

The cover features the iconic hand-drawn Nautilus Shell from D’Arcy Thompson’s On Growth and Form, as well as an array of new shapes designed by a script we developed that generates 3D logarithmic spirals. You can learn more about the cover from our interview with The Node

Fight to the Death

Fight to the Death

◄  Commissioned artwork to summarize a research project proposal on how cell competition can be harnessed using genetic engineering. In this watercolour piece, pointillism is used to capture competition between a population of cells. Each cluster of dots of the same tone represents a clone specifically designed to be extra fit–their genetic materials have been manipulated & programmed. These clones are taking over the entire system, as less fit clones (grey) wither away.

Logo & web design for Shakiba lab, The University of British Columbia

Logo & web design for Shakiba lab, The University of British Columbia

Tree of Life

Tree of Life

◄  This illustration represents how synergistic signalling can trigger cascades of regulatory events and impact cell lineage commitment. It was designed for a study published in Nature Methods and was selected to be the cover of that issue.

Brand, logo, & web design for Advice to a Scientist

Brand, logo, & web design for Advice to a Scientist

The Epigenetic Landscape

The Epigenetic Landscape

◄  This illustration was designed for StemCellTalks, a national initiative in Canada that engage high school students to discuss stem cell science & practical ethics. It was inspired by the concepts behind Conrad Hal Waddington's epigenetic landscape.

Logo, poster, & programmer design for the Engineering and Archaeology symposium, University of Leicester

Logo, poster, & programmer design for the Engineering and Archaeology symposium, University of Leicester

Elizabeth Blackwell – A collaboration with science writer and illustrator Nina Chhita for her series Nina Draws Scientists

Elizabeth Blackwell – A collaboration with science writer and illustrator Nina Chhita for her series Nina Draws Scientists

Entangled

Entangled

◄  Commissioned piece to depict the complex relationships among plants, fungi, and other organisms in nature.

Bedtime Sketches

Bedtime Sketches

◄  A series of sketches that depicts the life of a graduate student. Through sharing vulnerable, authentic thoughts and experiences on social media, this series aims to break down some of the stereotypical assumptions of scientists, and replace them with a more relatable, trustworthy image.

Biophysics Week–illustrations commissioned by the Biophysical Society

Biophysics Week–illustrations commissioned by the Biophysical Society

Challenge Everything

Challenge Everything

◄  A featured piece created for a popular lettering challenge on Instagram to encourage constant exploration and reevaluation of our beliefs and values. 

Schooled with Sam–Podcast cover design

Schooled with Sam–Podcast cover design

Nature is Over-Raided

Nature is Over-Raided

#tinyscience

#tinyscience

◄  #tinyscience was a  week long Instagram campaign that combines lettering and science to share some of the small but exciting highlights from a stem cell biology lab.

Super G–a collaboration with Dr. Himanshu Kaul

Super G–a collaboration with Dr. Himanshu Kaul

Women in Science Day

Women in Science Day

Fake News–an entry for the #GoodTypeTuesday challenge on Instagram

Fake News–an entry for the #GoodTypeTuesday challenge on Instagram

The Serial Donor–part of the #StemCellWednesday Instagram campaign, which introduced concepts from the exciting field of stem cell research 

The Serial Donor–part of the #StemCellWednesday Instagram campaign, which introduced concepts from the exciting field of stem cell research 

Beauty sleeping in your eyes–part of the #StemCellWednesday  Instagram campaign

Beauty sleeping in your eyes–part of the #StemCellWednesday  Instagram campaign

Chimera–part of the #StemCellWednesday  Instagram campaign

Chimera–part of the #StemCellWednesday  Instagram campaign

Scientific Illustration
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