The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications is hosting the Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI) exam in Toronto. Register now!
Date: Sunday, November 22, 2026
8:30 am check-in
9 am to 2 pm exam
Location: Room 102, Old Administration Building, University of Toronto, 263 McCaul, Toronto, ON M5T 1W7
Proctor: Dr. Shelley Wall, Associate Director, MScBMC program
To register: https://bcmi.org/
David Mazierski, Associate Professor-Teaching Stream, Master of Science in Biomedical Communications
The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications is proud to announce that David Mazierski, associate professor–teaching stream, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Brödel Award for Excellence in Education–one of the Association of Medical Illustrators' highest honours.
Throughout his career, David has inspired generations of medical illustrators through his work as a professor of biomedical communications at the University of Toronto. His dedication to education, mentorship and advancing the art and science of visual communication has made a lasting impact on both his students and the profession.
David will be honoured at the July 2026 AMI Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Web sites referenced:
David Mazierski's faculty profile: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#mazierski
Brödel Award for Excellence in Education: https://ami.org/about-us/member-awards/brodel-award/
AMI Annual Conference: https://ami.org/annual-conference/
Bridget Lu, MScBMC Class of ‘26.
At 2026 Spring Critique, Bridget Lu was named Best in Spring Critique-Year II. This is the second Best in Critique award for Bridget who also won in year I.
Surfer's Eye, one of the pieces from the gallery of work she submitted to Critique, was created for the course MSC2018H Visual representation of processes in pathology taught by Professor Dave Mazierski.
Surfer's eye: pterygium conjunctiva by Bridget Lu
The two-page pathology visualization depicts pterygium conjunctiva–a condition of the eye resulting from prolonged ultraviolet exposure. It is commonly experienced by surfers and individuals who live near the equator or who spend long periods in the sun without eye protection.
"Bridget's masterful use of a dynamic layout, exaggerated perspective, a hyper-saturated complimentary palette and detailed histological tissue cubes tells the story of an unusual pathology in a dramatic and visually compelling manner," says Mazierski.
Bridget is currently developing drawing workshops focused on the medical humanities for fellows and residents in otolaryngology, in collaboration with Christopher Yao at Toronto General Hospital and BMC Associate Director Shelley Wall. Through this work, the second-year graduate student is expanding her use of narrative and empathy in medical illustration while gaining experience collaborating with surgeons and facilitating workshops.
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Web sites referenced:
Bridget Lu's portfolio: https://www.bridgetxlu.com
Dave Mazierski's profile: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#mazierski
Christopher Yao's profile: https://otolaryngology.utoronto.ca/faculty/christopher-yao
Shelley Wall's profile: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#wall
Sabrina Viloria Medina, MScBMC Class of ‘27
Sabrina Viloria Medina is named 2026 Best in Spring Critique-Year I for her submitted body of work, as selected by faculty and peers.
One of the pieces from Sabrina's gallery is Journey to the Sea. She created this two-page information graphic for the course MSC2023H Information Visualization taught by Dr. Jodie Jenkinson.
Journey to the Sea, information graphic by Sabrina Viloria Medina, MScBMC ‘27
Journey to the Sea depicts the trek that sea turtle hatchlings make from their nests to the ocean. Sabrina's research informs a detailed visualization of their environment and the many perils the hatchlings face along the way. "My hope is to raise awareness of the obstacles this endangered reptile must overcome, and to encourage further education and conservation efforts around them," says the first-year graduate student.
Jenkinson says that the piece clearly illustrates a complex scenario. "We have so many variables at play that can impact the success or failure of these hatchlings--from the time of day they hatch, to predators, litter, fishing nets and climate change. What makes this graphic successful is its clear communication of these threats. From a design perspective, the information hierarchy is well established allowing viewers to understand the content without difficulty," says Jenkinson. "It is also beautifully illustrated."
Sabrina is currently compiling research for her master's project and preparing for her summer internship with TVASurg where she will continue to develop her skills in translating complex science into accessible visual narratives.
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Web sites referenced
Sabrina Viloria Medina’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-viloria/
Jodie Jenkinon's profile: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#jenkinson
Athena Li is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications program at the University of Toronto.
by Maeve Doyle
Athena Li, MScBMC ’26, is this year’s recipient of the Eila I. Ross Award.
Presented annually, the Eila I. Ross Award recognizes excellence and professionalism in medical illustration and communication output, team participation and leadership skills, and commitment to the profession.
Athena serves as student representative (internal)–a two-year commitment–for her cohort. She represents her classmates at the monthly BMC faculty meetings where she has brought forward concerns and provided curricular feedback, and at the leadership meetings of the UTM Association of Graduate Students and the Institute of Medical Science Student Association.
At the end of her first year, Athena recruited volunteers to deliver an online orientation session for incoming students "to help them feel less overwhelmed and know what to expect especially for housing, insurance opt-out, and financial opportunities," she says. "I continued what Nichole Zhou [MScBMC Class of '26] did for our cohort."
Athena mentors the Class of '27 student representatives and has volunteered for the IMS Magazine Design Team all while continuing her full-time studies and master's research where she has excelled. Athena's work was named 2025 Best in Spring Critique Year I and 2026 Best in Fall Critique Year II by her peers and faculty. She is a 2026 recipient of a Vesalius Trust Research Grant.
"Athena is a conscientious, hard-working student who always pushes herself to produce thoughtful, well researched communication media. She’s also very philosophical and is always keen to discuss pedagogy and engage in debate about it," says Professor Michael Corrin, program director and Athena’s supervisor.
This award honours the contributions of Eila I. Ross, a talented and influential early Canadian medical illustrator who was one of the founders of the profession in Canada.
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Web sites referenced
Athena Li's portfolio: https://liathena101.wixsite.com/portfolio
Eila I. Ross Award: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/mscbmc-awards/#eila-ross
IMS Magazine: https://imsmagazine.com
Spring Critique 2025 Best in Show announcement: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/news-events/2025/4/29/spring-critique-2025-best-in-show?rq=critique
Vesalius Trust 2026 student award winners announcement: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/news-events/2026/4/2/vesalius-trust-2026-student-award-winners?rq=athena%20li
Michael Corrin's profile: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#corrin
Winter Kraemer, MScBMC Class of ‘26, received the 2026 Stephen Gilbert Award for his surgical illustration series “Penile inversion vaginoplasty: clitoroplasty.” Photo courtesy of Winter Kraemer.
Second-year graduate student Winter Kraemer has been named the 2026 recipient of the Professor Stephen Gilbert Award for Artistic Excellence in Biomedical Visualization. The award recognizes artistic excellence in the representation of structure and function at the gross, micro, or molecular level. Winter received the award for his piece Penile inversion vaginoplasty: clitoroplasty.
Winter created this surgical illustration in consultation with reconstructive urologist Dr. Alexandra Millman of Women’s College Hospital in Toronto for the course MSC2001Y Visual representation of medical knowledge taught by Professor Michael Corrin.
Penile inversion vaginoplasty: clitoroplasty is an illustrated series that describes a complex anatomical reconfiguration. The series depicts a clitoroplasty–and clearly communicating these structural changes is a challenge. This piece aligns with Winter's master's research project, which focuses on educational materials for gender-affirming surgery.
Corrin says that Winter's work is exceptional because of the extreme clarity of the narrative describing this complicated structural modification. His design keeps the audience oriented at each phase of the process through skillfully rendered drawings and text that work together seamlessly.
"Winter's beautiful execution of the classic pen-and-ink style is impressive and would have drawn a lot of praise from Steve, the great illustrator and instructor for whom this award is named," says Corrin. "It's professional quality work.”
This is the second award for this piece which was also recognized by the Association of Medical Illustrators with a 2025 Award of Merit.
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Web sites referenced:
Winter Kraemer's portfolio: https://winterkraemer.cargo.site
Stephen Gilbert Award: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/mscbmc-awards/#steve-gilbert
Alexandra Milman's faculty profile: https://uofturology.ca/directory/faculty/millman-alexandra/
Michael Corrin's faculty profile: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#corrin
Bridget Xiao-Cha Lu and Kelsey Zhao are second-year students in the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications program at the University of Toronto.
Second-year graduate students Bridget Xiao-Cha Lu and Kelsey Zhao have been recognized by the Vesalius Trust, which named Bridget a 2026 Vesalian Scholar and awarded Kelsey a research grant for their collaborative project to create an educational resource in egg retrieval for reproductive medicine trainees.
Egg retrieval–a core step in fertility treatments such as egg donation, egg freezing and in vitro fertilization (IVF) requires precise coordination under ultrasound guidance. Mastering the procedure is difficult. To become proficient may take weeks to months, and greater proficiency means retrieving more eggs, which improves the chance of IVF success.
But early training resources are limited. Trainees rely on text-heavy materials and static images, with occasional access to physical models before advancing to observation and clinical practice.
Under the guidance of Dr. Nigel Pereira at Mount Sinai Hospital and Professor Michael Corrin at the University of Toronto, Bridget and Kelsey are addressing this gap by developing RetrievED.
Clip from RetrievED. A 3D-interactive model depicting relevant anatomical relationships, including stimulated ovaries, internal iliac vessels, and bony landmarks. Courtesy: Bridget Lu
RetrievED is an interactive multimedia resource that integrates written content with illustrations, real ultrasound imaging, videos and interactive visuals. The project is informed by user research, including surveys, which the pair analyzed for patterns and themes. They identified where trainees struggle, how they access content and which formats best support learning.
Bridget is taking the lead on asset creation, while Kelsey is leading on UI/UX design. They are documenting their development process to help other biomedical visualization specialists design for clinical training and learning.
The project's next phase is a comprehensive review of RetrievED's effectiveness in improving trainee confidence and procedural understanding. The team is preparing to present their findings at conferences to bring awareness to the role of biomedical communications in reproductive medicine education.
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Web sites referenced:
Bridget Lu's portfolio bridgetxlu.com/
Nigel Pereira's profile https://www.sinaihealth.ca/physicians/nigel-pereira
Michael Corrin's profile https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff
Congratulations to the following MScBMC Class of 2026 Vesalius Trust grants and awards recipients (from top left) Grace Gibson, Athena Li, Bridget Lu, Jinny Moon, Josip Petrusa, Cynthia Pham and Kelsey Zhao.
The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications at the University of Toronto is very pleased to announce the 2026 winners of Vesalius Trust research grants and awards.
Grace Gibson
Athena Li
Josip Petrusa
Cynthia Pham, and
Kelsey Zhao
The Vesalius Trust provides grant funding to students enrolled in medical illustration programs and who have completed one year of the curriculum. These competitive grants are awarded annually and help fund the students' research projects and masters’ theses.
Congratulations to all. Well done!
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Linked web sites:
Jinny Moon’s portfolio https://www.jinnymoon.ca
Article: BMC student wins Vesalius Trust award for trauma visualization research https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/news-events/2026/3/20/2026-steve-harrison-award
Bridget Lu’s portfolio: https://www.bridgetxlu.com
Grace Gibson’s portfolio https://gracecgibson.com
Athena Li’s portfolio https://liathena101.wixsite.com/portfolio
Josip Petrusa’s portfolio https://www.josippetrusa.com
The Vesalius Trust’s web site https://vesaliustrust.org
Principal, Hillary Wilson Illustration
The prospect of freelancing can be daunting. There is very little stability to be found and you are responsible for every aspect of your business. However, with a touch of curiosity, a bit of planning and persistence, and a healthy dose of audacity, it is possible to find stability within the chaos and build a solid foundation for a freelance career.
Date: March 27, 2026
Time: 1 to 2 p.m. (ET)
Location: Online
Webinar Registration Link: https://utoronto.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HMfE3ogqRsGPJBtvoVKhlw
2026 BMC speaker series full program: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/news-events/2026/03/23/bmc-speaker-series-2026
Hillary Wilson is an award-winning independent illustrator based in Durham, North Carolina. She received an MA in medical illustration from Johns Hopkins University in 2018. In her everyday work, she balances two very different visual storytelling skill sets–clear, effective medical illustration and rich, vibrant fantasy illustration.
Hillary’s work can be seen everywhere from patient education materials and surgical journals to collectible Magic: the gathering trading cards and New York Times bestselling novels.
Hillary Wilson Medical Illustration https://www.hwilsonillustration.com
Hillary D. Wilson Art https://www.hdwilsonart.com
Instagram @HillaryDWilsonArt
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-wilson-4a4398b5/
Greg Brown, Co-creator of AsapSCIENCE
Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 4 to 5 p.m. (ET)
Location: Online
Webinar Registration Link: https://utoronto.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a70bwmuiTtm16DcELr5yIQ
2026 BMC speaker series full program: https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/news-events/2026/03/23/bmc-speaker-series-2026
Greg Brown is a science storyteller, digital creator and queer educator who created (with Mitch Moffit) the viral YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE. With over 10 million YouTube subscribers and billions of views, they transform complex topics into captivating stories using humour, psychology and creativity.
In this world of infinite scrolling and viral trends, Greg–a trained science teacher–took his classroom online and discovered innovative ways to capture attention and inspire a lifelong love of learning.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/AsapSCIENCE
Room 308, Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex
3359 Mississauga Road
Mississauga, ON Canada L5L 1C6
Phone: 905-569-4849
Fax: 905-569-4847
OA Building, Room 114
263 McCaul Street
Toronto, ON Canada M5T 1W7
