Alexandra Gallant-Lee

Artist, Cartoonist, Designer, Science Communicator

Science Communication

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Project Dates

Science communication is all about telling the stories of science. I tell these stories in so many ways, using art, web and design to help scientists more effectively communicate their research. My experience cuts across creative disciplines and I have worked with thousands of researchers on science communication efforts across every area of medicine.

Building laboratory websites. Creating a program for a scientific symposia. Working with a researcher to improve presentation graphics and design. Leading a workshop on using comics in medicine. Designing a map for a hospital-wide event. Creating a virtual poster session hub.

Overview

My work as a science communicator takes a few different forms. I work with scientists every day to help them become better science communicators, acting as a creative consultant of sorts, helping them understand the many ways their outreach and even their science could be more effective.

As a child, I was lucky to have so many incredible learning opportunities with a science focus, while also encouraged to develop artistic skills. I feel so lucky being able to bring those passions together in this work. I also have experience conducting research, myself, working as a criminology research assistant in college. Having that perspective and that experience is part of what makes me such an effective science communicator, especially when working giving me chance to really leverage the skills I developed as a researcher, as well all of the creative and web skills and experience I have.

In 2008, I began working at the Brigham Research Institute at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where my role eventually evolved into my current position, Creative Designer & Web Media Manager. My focus is on using visual and web communication to more effectively communicate research.

This happens in a few ways, but one of them includes working with scientists on how they can become better communicators themselves. I help scientists discover how things like comics or illustration or animation can elevate their research, working individually with researchers but also leading workshops how they could use comics in medicine to improve outcomes, promote health equity and further communicate their research to a broader audience.

My skills and expertise are wide-ranging and deep in a number of different areas, but here is a breakdown of some of the types of work that I’ve done that falls under science communication.

  • Graphic Design
  • Web Design
  • User Experience Design
  • Virtual Event Production
  • Photography
  • Illustration
  • Video and Photography Shoots
  • Animation
  • Storyboarding
  • Presentation Design
  • Event Design
  • Creative Direction

A few of the details...

A screenshot of the activity on the poster session website from 2020-2023, showing 795 posters.
Designing a website that served as a virtual poster session hub, with nearly 800 posters and their abstracts hosted on it.
A breakdown of posters by category and by gender
The largest poster session was Discover Brigham 2022, featuring 159 posters, with an in-person poster session at the hospital and the posters and abstracts accessible on the poster session website.

Take a look...

These are just a few examples of recent (and a few not so-recent) web and print design projects that I’ve worked on for researchers at the hospital, as well as some photos of events and other research activities at the hospital that I’m involved in. Some days, you’ll see me taking photos for an event, other days, we’re recording a video interview with scientists, it’s always an adventure.