Introducing the Finalists for the 2024 Mass General Research Institute Image Awards

By Marcela Quintanilla-Dieck | MGRI Image Awards | 0 comment | 17 December, 2024 | 1

Experience Science Through Art

They say a picture is worth a thousand words—but in science, it can be worth so much more.

At the annual Mass General Research Institute Image Awards, we celebrate the beauty of research at Mass General, showcasing incredible discoveries happening every day within our walls. Each year, researchers and collaborators submit stunning images across diverse fields. From neuroscience to cancer biology, these images don’t just capture science; they tell stories of innovation, discovery and hope.

Every image is a window into a researcher’s world, a story worth telling.

This year, we received 84 images from 24 departments, units, and centers across Mass General. Our team has selected finalists in each of the six categories: Humans of MGRI, A Closer Look, Science as Art, Mixed Media and Friends et. al, and the our new Video category.

The finalists are listed below and the winners will be announced at a gala reception for the finalists in January 2025.

We cannot thank the Mass General research community enough for the time and effort they dedicate each year to submitting images and sharing the incredible stories behind them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In our eyes, you are all winners!

A Closer Look Finalists

This category is dedicated to images that provide an up-close look into the world of science that the public doesn’t often see.

Images in this category usually include cells, tissues, high-resolution scans, images of devices and equipment, or anything else related to your research that deserves a closer look.

Science as Art Finalists

Many of our researchers are passionate about art and photography, making the Science As Art category an ideal way to blend creativity with science.

This category welcomes drawings, paintings, digital illustrations, photography, and mixed media—everything goes as long as the work comes from a Mass General community member!

Humans of MGRI Finalists

This category is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the scientists and support staff who make invaluable contributions to our understanding of medicine, and showcasing the human side of research and life in the lab. Submissions can include team photos and candid shots to interesting glimpses into life as a scientist and maintaining a work-life balance.

Friends et. al Finalists

What would we do without our research collaborators? This category celebrates the partnership and teamwork with our collaborators from Mass General Brigham and beyond. To participate in this category, you must be a researcher associated with MGB, or the image submitted must depict a project/idea that directly involved collaboration with MGH investigators/research groups.

Video Finalists

This year, our team was amazed to receive several stunning videos. Therefore, we introduced the 'Video' category to celebrate the incredible creativity and storytelling of participants who submitted their work.

X-Chromosome in 3D

This animation reveals the X chromosome, one of the most important structures inside our cells. Chromosomes are tightly packed strands of DNA, containing the instructions that tell our cells what to do—almost like a recipe book for life.

Submitter: Anna Lappala, PhD

Microvascular Networks of the Human Brain

In this video, we unveil a hidden network of microvasculature in the human brain from deep within our data, showcasing the breathtaking complexity and precision of nature in extraordinary detail.

Submitter: Etienne Chollet

Axes of Axons

This animation shows streaks of light tracing the white matter pathways of the human brain, modeled using diffusion MRI data.

Submitter: Alexander Atalay

Mind and Body

Digital painting can easily show the creative process, much like neuroscience research, where clumsy yet steady progress is made through trial, error and adjustment. Digital painting can easily show the creative process, much like neuroscience research, where clumsy yet steady progress is made through trial, error and adjustment.

Submitter: Daeyoung Roh, MD, PhD

Epidermal Autofluorescence

This short video captures the natural beauty and complexity of human skin through fluorescence lifetime imaging, a label-free technique that reveals the skin’s own autofluorescence.

Submitter: Yuxiao Wei

Mixed Media Finalists

This category is dedicated to content such as short videos (<1 min), poetry, cartoons, comics, and artwork. For submissions in this category, please submit a video or an image file to the submissions folder. This can include images of the mixed media for items such as paintings, sculptures or something we haven't even thought of yet.

The Duality of Motherhood

This piece represents the internal conflict many postpartum mothers face as they try to embrace the new realities of motherhood while dealing with the aftermath of a difficult birth experience. This art is important because it sheds light on the struggles with maternal-infant bonding and maternal mental health that so many mothers face when trying to connect with a child that may also serve as a reminder of their distressing birth event. That is why I felt it necessary to express the duality of motherhood through movement, calling attention to a battle that has gone unnoticed for far too long.

Submitter: Onyekachi Agwu