by Maeve Doyle
Critique organizers and BMC faculty pose with Best in Show winners. Top right: Professor Shehryar Saharan, MScBMC ‘22 and Molly Wells, MScBMC Class of ‘25. Bottom left: Dr. Derek Ng, MScBMC ‘15 and Athena Li, MScBMC Class of ‘26.
Vivid imagery and vibrant discussion filled the Biomedical Communications' studios and hallways on April 17, 2025, as students, faculty and alumni gathered for Spring Critique.
Participants reviewed student galleries, after which they voted to name a first- and second-year student each Best in Show for their cohorts.
The winners were first-year student Athena Li and second-year student Molly Wells.
Of the pieces Li presented at the critique, she said she is most proud of the eyeball anatomy she visualized for the Show Me the Unseeable assignment in Visual Representation of Medical Knowledge.
A cross-sectional view of the human eye, highlighting its general anatomy and the structures involved in light transmission for sight. From Light to Sight by Athena Li, MScBMC Class of ‘26
"A lot of anatomical research went into this piece, which directly informed the final look of the image, and indirectly informed decisions on what structures were included, and how they were depicted. This was a stimulating and ultimately rewarding process that I had a lot of fun with," Li said.
Best in Show-Second Year winner Molly Wells is proud of several pieces she presented including Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema, an infographic she created for the course Visual Representation of Processes in Pathology.
An infographic that visualizes the micro and macro changes in the lymphatic system as a result of the edema that can occur in some cases after breast cancer treatment. Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema by Molly Wells, MScBMC Class of ‘25.
In the piece, Wells depicts micro and macro changes in the lymphatic system that may occur as a result of breast cancer treatment.
She said that she designed the piece "to help healthcare providers better prevent, identify, and treat this disease. I am proud of how I showed the lymphatic system at histological and morphological levels, and I hope that my attempts to show different scales and aspects of the disease will help people's understanding."
Spring Critique is one of two annual events where students present work created in biomedical communications courses. The critiques contribute to student professional development.
As presenters, students give oral-visual presentations designed for a live audience. They receive and document the critical feedback they receive on their work.
As audience members, they practice analysing visual communication media, and learn to offer constructive feedback.
BMC faculty Derek Ng and Shehryar Saharan introduced the Best in Show awards in Fall 2022. Saharan said the awards were created "to reward students for an incredible amount of hard work and commitment they've demonstrated to honing their skills."
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Web sites referenced
Athena Li's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/athna.stomosis/
Molly Wells' online portfolio https://www.mollywellsart.ca/
Course Description MSC2001Y Visual Representation of Medical Knowledge https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/required-curriculum/#msc2001y
Course Description MSC2018H Visual Representation of Processes in Pathology https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/required-curriculum/#msc2018h
2025 Vesalius Trust Scholar announcement–Molly Wells https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/news-events/2025/3/2/vt2025-molly-wells?rq=molly%20wells
Derek Ng faculty profile https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#ng
Shehryar Saharan faculty profile https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#saharan