Hello #PortfolioDay 💙! I am Emma, artist, illustrator, graphic, web designer, and founder of @DrawImpacts! I am passionate about science and love to create unique illustrations of novel research and scientific discoveries! #sciart ✨drawimpacts.com

“Think of it like this.”When explaining something complex, we often use comparisons to make an unfamiliar idea easier to understand. For this illustration featuring research from the Taran Gujral lab at @fredhutch , we chose a house of cards to represent the tumor microenvironment. The team uses tiny 3D microtumors to study how drugs affect the cells and tissues surrounding a tumor. In our illustration, a cancer cell sits at the top of a house of cards, supported by different cell types and surrounding tissue. As a fibroblast card is pulled from the base, the structure begins to collapse. The idea is that targeting the environment supporting a tumor can also affect the tumor itself. I love how a simple visual metaphor can make a complex scientific concept easier to understand and remember. 🔗 Read more: fredhutch.org/en/news/center… #ScientificIllustration #ScienceCommunication #CancerResearch

New logo! 🧬⛰️ We created this logo for #LuisBatista and GStaC, Genome Stability and Cancer, a new seminar series at the University of @UUtah. A mountain silhouette meets a broken DNA strand, bringing the local landscape and the science together in one simple mark. #ScientificDesign #LogoDesign #DrawImpacts

We love the moment when a complex idea suddenly clicks because of one simple visual. That's the power of a good metaphor. What's one scientific concept you'd love to see visualized? #SciComm #ScientificIllustration #DrawImpacts

Brief → Sketch → @Nature Cover!! Every journal cover starts with understanding the science. Here's how we transformed the original concept into the final published Nature cover for #GustavoStarvaggiFrança and @ItaiYanai nature.com/nature/volumes/65… #ScienceCommunication #ScientificIllustration #Nature

From PowerPoint slide → sketch → journal cover @green_rsc This project for the #TessonnierGroup is a great example of why I enjoy scientific storytelling. The challenge wasn't just to illustrate the chemistry, it was to create a visual journey through the science. Starting from the original slide, we explored different concepts through sketches before building the final 3D cover illustration. Swipe through to see how the idea evolved along the way. One of my favorite parts of this work is watching a scientific concept transform into a visual story. #SciComm #ScientificVisualization #JournalCover #SciArt #SciComm #ScientificVisualization

“Why is my figure misunderstood?” 🔬 Because figures don’t just communicate data, they communicate hierarchy, interpretation, and story. A figure can be scientifically correct and still confusing if: • the key takeaway isn’t obvious • too many things compete for attention • the visual flow is unclear Scientists spend months refining experiments… and sometimes only hours refining the figure. Yet it’s often the first thing people look at. Curious, what’s the hardest part for you when making a figure? The colors? The story? Knowing what to highlight? #SciComm #AcademicTwitter #DataViz #ScientificIllustration

Fascinating work on how MDS mutant cells reshape their local immune environment through TGFβ signaling and promote clonal expansion. Proud to see our illustration accompanying the study 🧬

Love seeing the logo we designed show up alongside exciting science like this 😊 Big congrats, Reeshi, on the flash talk! Always special seeing the lab’s work and identity come to life together.

Loved working on this illustration! Huge congrats to everyone involved 👏 Excited to see it out in the world!

Big one ✨ We designed the cover for this week’s @Nature . Such a great concept to translate visually. Congratulations to the team 👏🔥

Really exciting to see this out! 🌱 We designed the illustration for this study: following how Arabidopsis thaliana adapts (or fails to) across 30+ environments, with evolution happening in real time at the genetic level. Always rewarding to help make complex science feel clear! 👉 Science paper: science.org/doi/10.1126/scie… 👉 Press release: news.berkeley.edu/2026/03/26…