LMP Art Competition winners 2025
The following received the top votes from the LMP Community.
Clinical Science winners
First place
Cassie Hillock-Watling, MHSc Laboratory Medicine program (Pathologists' Assistant Field) - graduated 2023
"Subarachnoid Hemorrhage"
About Cassie's image
"I work as a Pathologist's Assistant at UHN and we get many interesting autopsy cases. This drawing is referenced from a case of a patient that had a subtle subarachnoid hemorrhage. It is part of larger piece/infographic giving information on this type of life-threatening brain bleed."
Credit: Cassie Hillock-Watling
Second place
Dr. Trevor Teich, Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology Resident
"Not all hearts beat - some secrete"
About Trevor's image
"An image of benign prostatic glands with a light microscope."
Credit: Trevor Teich
Basic and Translational Science winners
First place
Shiyuan Bian, PhD candidate in the Karoubi Lab
"Swimming Through Air, Toward New Life"
About Shiyuan's image
"At first glance, it swims - an elegant tropical fish, glowing with life. But look again. Fish do not have lungs, but this ""fish"" is made from lungs!
This is no sea creature, but a precision-cut lung slice from a re-cellularized mouse lung, shaped like a fish and brought to life through mechanical breathing, biological staining, and imaging. Captured using 4×6 tiles of 10X images on a Nikon A1R confocal microscope, the red extra cellular matrix (BOBO-3), blue nuclei (Hoechst 33342), and green live human alveolar epithelial type II cells (Calcein AM) reveal a vibrant pattern of regeneration.
The image evokes the feeling of life taking root on the red land of a biological desert - once stripped of its original cells, now flourishing as green, new life is planted and thrives. This regeneration is made possible by preconditioning the scaffold with cyclic stretch, mimicking the rhythmic mechanical forces of breathing. Ventilation is not only a life-sustaining force, but a life-renewing one, where breath and form converge to bring lungs reborn - swimming through air toward new life."
Credit: Shiyuan Bian (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto; Tissue Repair and Regeneration Lab, Latner Thoracic Research Laboratories, University Health Network)
Second place
Sheryl Ordonez, Student in the Translational Research Program (MHSc)
"From Bench to Bedside"
About Sheryl's image
"This acrylic painting captures the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of Translational Research in health science. Spanning three floors, the artwork visualizes the progression from basic scientific discovery, translational research, to healthcare application, emphasizing the interconnectedness of each stage. Each stage is represented by fluorescent orange, yellow-orange, and purple to illustrate how knowledge is passed across spaces and teams in health science. The spaces include a brick structure on the left with window scenes and expand to the right side. Lastly, a staircase towards the bottom of the painting connects the three floors to the ground level, following into a long hallway of students.
Captured through window scenes by the brick structure on the left, the first floor highlights the progression of scientific knowledge from basic research (bottom left window), to pre-clinical studies, then clinical studies. To the right, the floor expands to a conference, similar to the LMPRC 2025 conference held to demonstrate knowledge sharing from all kinds of clinical research projects.
The second floor depicts scenes representing the 'ideate, translate, and implement' phases, key in the translational research framework. The entire Translational Research Framework is also embedded on the rest of this floor to represent translational research, which includes the 'discover, define, frame, ideate, translate, and implement'.
Above, is the top floor emphasizing three key stakeholders to disseminate knowledge from left to right, policy makers, healthcare providers and researchers, and patients. The right of this floor focuses on medical researchers, healthcare teams, and medical students over the years designated by their backpack colors.
Below all this, the staircase leads to the bottom floor, symbolizing where students and trainees begin. As students, their education is seen through inspired library scenes of students gathering and studying among rows of desks. The journey of a student to a research trainee continues as they get mentored by supervisors and eventually get involved in research projects and programs as they continue in their careers.
Throughout the painting, key stakeholders - mentors, policymakers, administrative staff, healthcare providers, and patients - are portrayed, underscoring the collective effort that shapes the translational research space. Therefore, From Bench to Bedside communicates the beauty of translational research: interplay and collaboration of individuals, disciplines, and spaces working together to advance scientific discovery and improve healthcare."
Credit: Sheryl Ordonez. The building framework is inspired by the MaRS building, indoor setting.
Laurent Bozec, LMP faculty
Basic/Translational science category - "Fibroblast Migration Through a Dense Collagen Matrix"
"This image, captured using confocal laser scanning microscopy, shows the migration of human dermal fibroblasts outward from a central, cell-seeded collagen button into a dense, crosslinked collagen scaffold over a 9-day period. The scaffold mimics the extracellular matrix found in human connective tissue. Actin (orange) and nuclei (blue) are stained with phalloidin-Alexa Fluor 546 and Hoechst 33342, respectively, revealing the cytoskeletal dynamics and cell distribution during migration. The experiment was designed to assess whether a plastically compressed, collagen-based scaffold could support cellular movement—a critical feature for tissue regeneration and wound healing. The image highlights the intricate interplay between engineered biomaterials and living cells, merging functionality with visual complexity."
Credit: Mina Vaez and Laurent Bozec at Matrix Functionalization and Phenotyping Lab (MFP-Lab / Bozec-lab)
Sara Babran, Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology Resident
Clinical science category - "The First Slides; A Journey Begins"
"This image is a hand-made artwork featuring the first slides prepared by PGY1 pathology trainees during lab practice. The background includes the trainees' names and pink-purple staining inspired by hematoxylin and eosin. This piece celebrates the start of our pathology journey."
Credit: Artwork by Sara Babran, lab practice, St Michael's hospital
Sofia Gentile, MSc student
Basic/Translational science category - "Neurodegenerative Nebula"
"Mapping the molecular landscape of the brain using Imaging Mass Cytometry. Multiplexed image of Alzheimer’s Disease post-mortem cortex, including white and grey matter and meninges. Pathological hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau, blue) and amyloid plaques (APP, White), along with asytrocytes (GFAP, magenta), neuronal cell bodies (MAP2, green), microglia (Iba1, red) and Collagen (yellow). Image generated using MCD viewer and the Hyperion XTi System through a collaboration between the Visanji, Pollanen & McKee Labs (Tanz CRND, Pathomics Inc) and Standard Biotools Inc, funded by a LMP Catalyst grant."
Credit: Sofia Gentile, MSc candidate in the Visanji & Pollanen Labs. Additional credit goes to Standard Biotools Inc.
Mary-Jo Hatem, PhD candidate
Basic/Translational science category - "Igniting the Flame"
"Immunofluorescent microscopy image of vascular smooth muscle cells that have a knockout of the protein Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 (DDR1). These cells are stained with an antibody directed at urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) (red). uPAR regulates processes like cell division and inflammation. The bright cell seen in the center of the image is in the process of dividing and therefore is expressing an even higher level of uPAR. Our lab studies the role of vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the build up of plaque in the blood vessels due to high cholesterol in the blood. It is often described to have a similar mechanism to cancer development, to which uPAR has already been shown to have a big role in. It will be interesting to understand why this increase happens and how this plays into atherosclerosis development (the main perpetrator of cardiovascular disease)."
Credit: Bendeck Lab, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research - Translational Biology and Engineering Program
Jiya Jakher, undergraduate student
Basic/Translational science category - "Path Forward"
"This is an immunofluorescent microscopy image of human lung tissue at 5X magnification. Nuclei are stained in blue (Hoechst), goblet cells in red (MUC5AC), and ciliated cells in white (acetylated tubulin), highlighting the airway epithelium. Beyond illustrating the intricate cellular architecture that propels air through our lungs to keep us alive, this image symbolizes the path forward in our lives. Like the airways, our journeys may branch and curve, yet always move us forward."
Credit: Jiya Jakher -Tissue Repair and Regeneration Lab, Latner Thoracic Research Laboratories, University Health Network
Negar Khosraviani, PhD candidate
Basic/Translational science category - "Satellite view of the brain"
"This is an image of a brain section from a patient with brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The confocal Nikon A1R microscope was used to capture this view of the brain section highlighting big vessels outlined in green which is staining for the endothelial marker CD31."
Credit: Negar Khosraviani
Cori Lau, PhD candidate
Basic/Translational science category - "Traffic 'Jam' of Cells"
"Confocal microscope of a kidney from a 8 week old mouse. Red represents blood vessel in kidney forming the red colour "jam" of cells."
Credit: Cori Lau, in the lab of Jason Fish using a Nikon A1R in TGHRI
Ben Laxer, MSc student
Basic/Translational science category - "DMG Comic Panel"
"This is an art work made using Blender 3D animation software rendered in comic style. This image depicts DNA wrapped around histones with one histone having the K27M mutation implicated in Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) - the focus of my research."
Credit: Ben Laxer, Hawkins Lab
Bryn Livingston, PhD candidate
Basic/Translational science category - "Neurogenesis"
"This is a confocal immunofluorescent image of a human cortical organoid section which captures neural cells at various stages of development. SOX2+ neural stem cells (magenta) organize themselves into rosettes. As these stem cells differentiate, they begin to express TBR2 (cyan) as proliferative intermediate progenitor cells. These progenitors undergo a few rounds of cell division to help build the developing brain, before further maturing and exiting mitosis as a TBR1+ cell (yellow)."
Credit: Immunofluorescent staining and imaging by Bryn Livingston, Taylor and McGlade labs, SickKids RI. Organoid was grown by Kelsey Hennick, Nowakowski Lab, University of California, San Francisco
Pardaman Setia, Translational Research Program (TRP) student
Clinical science category - "When Eyes See Art: Pareidolia in Radiology"
"This image was taken with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging (SWI) - A special type of MRI scan used to see tiny details in the brain, like blood vessels, microbleeds and iron deposits. The image captures pareidolia, the brain’s tendency to recognize familiar shapes in random patterns. Here, a scanning artifact unexpectedly forms a heart shape within the brain, symbolizing the deep connection between cognition and emotion. This striking resemblance serves as a fascinating intersection of radiology, neuroscience, and art, transforming a routine medical scan into an unexpected fusion of science and creativity."
Credit: Pardaman Singh Setia / Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Hisar, India
Mitra Shokrollahi, recent PhD graduate (2025)
Basic/Translational science category - "Beautiful Death"
"Super-resolution confocal microscopy image of an apoptotic cell nucleus with fragmented DNA (blue) and ruptured nuclear membrane (green), releasing nuclear contents (red). Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death to maintain the body's cellular balance. It prevents the spread of potentially harmful cells, like those with damaged DNA and plays a crucial role in preventing cancer, and fighting infections. Apoptosis is a constant reminder of the sacrifices made to sustain life. It teaches us that death can be beautiful when in coming it opens the doors of life again. Sometimes in life, you have to die as a seed to live as a tree."
Credit: Mitra Shokrollahi
Ruilin Wu, PhD candidate
Basic/Translational science category - "Vascular Painting"
"A confocal microscopy image of endothelial cells and supporting cells in 3D fibrin matrix. Blue - Nuclei; Cyan - VE-cadherin; Magenta - mScarlet-tagged mutant KRAS; Yellow - Collagen IV."
Credit: Dr. Jason Fish, University Health Network
Qianghua Zhou, Hematopathology Resident
Clinical science category - "LOVE"
"The image is a combination of 4 neutrophils under the light microscope forming a 'LOVE' word"
Credit: Qianghua Zhou