Z. Eda Atmaca, a PhD student in biomedical sciences/development and stem cell and regenerative medicine, was selected as the winner of the Fall 2021 BioRender Illustration competition.

Priscilla Chan, a PhD candidate in the cancer biology and genomics program, took second place. Karolina Charaziak, PhD, assistant professor of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery, finished third. 

Atmaca’s image will be displayed in the lobby of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.

The contest, supported by the Keck School’s Office of Research and USC Stem Cell, showcases the artistic skills of Keck School researchers. All faculty, staff, postdocs and students were eligible.

Under the rules, contestants must create a design that is aesthetically pleasing and which tells a story with the BioRender software. The tool was created by the Toronto-based startup BioRender and is “newly supported for KSOM researchers to enhance the way science is communicated through visual art,” according to a flyer about the contest. 

Here is Atmaca’s illustration, about Weiss-Kruszka syndrome:

Here is Chan’s illustration, about the circadian clock:

And here is Charaziak’s illustration, about auditory nerves:

Congratulations to all three researchers!