Second Annual Department Art Competition: The Art of Pathology
By Yining Chen | July 28“The Art of Pathology”
We are excited to share the winners of our second annual department art competition, the theme “The Art of Pathology”. The art competition aims to transform the hidden worlds we study in the lab into visual works of art. This year’s winning pieces include sculptures that magnify blood cells and watercolors exploring the relationship between researchers and patients. Read about our winners, honorable mentions, and other awards.
First-Place: “Bank of Life” by Ronda Tuberville
Artist Statement: Medical Laboratory Scientists at the Blood Bank perform testing and alterations of blood products to ensure patient safety during transfusions. The most frequently utilized blood product is red cells. The extravagant size of the red cell is to show how important this component is to us and our patients’ lives.
Second-Place: “Histoflora” by Dr. Sandhya Padmanabhan
Artist Statement: The piece reimagines the microscopic landscape of disease as a garden of insight. The flowers in the composition are crafted from histological sections of mouse colon treated with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) (credit: Zachary Wilson, PhD), a widely used model that closely mirrors the pathology of human inflammatory bowel disease. The flowers incorporate elements such as stamens formed from a bed of ‘neutrophil pollen,’ derived from histochemical staining of human neutrophils, visually signaling the presence of inflammation (credit: Jennifer Brazil, PhD). Together, these elements symbolize the journey from inflammation to healing, reminding us that recovery is a natural and essential part of life.
Honorable Mention: “Legacy” by Dr. Camile Van Neste
Trigger Warning: Cancer and Death
Artist Statement: Beauty and affliction are brought together in this piece. Patients with metastatic cancers typically do not undergo tumor resection, which means that, somewhat ironically, little is known about the cellular and molecular characteristics of advanced disease. This artwork represents a liver from a patient with widely disseminated disease, who selflessly chose to donate their tissues to the Michigan Legacy Tissue program. This donation allows the precise documentation of metastases and the collection of live cells, enabling cutting-edge research that will impact future patients. I found the liver to be reminiscent of eye agate, a rare red stone with white circles. The donor lived with a devastating diagnosis, but their beautiful, selfless contribution will live on to better the lives of patients for generations to come.
Honorable Mention: “What doesn't kill you, mutates and tries again” by Peggy Mahlmeister
Distinct Patient Advocate Volunteer Award: “The Patient Behind the Lens” by Michele Mitchell, PFAC Co-Chair
Artist Statement: Every specimen you examine carries a story. Behind every slide is a person, waiting, wondering what you’re seeing under the microscope. You are the first to witness the images that will define their diagnosis and fate. That responsibility should never be taken for granted.
This watercolor is my tribute to the often unseen professionals in pathology and laboratory medicine. To the pathologist who diagnosed my breast cancer from my biopsy slides. To those who stained the tissue and prepared it for analysis. To the teams who dissected my sentinel node and confirmed that my margins were clear. To the laboratory staff who processed my bloodwork every time I came in for chemotherapy, whose results determined whether I could be infused that day. For me, I had to be infused that day. That’s what the protocol required, and timing was critical.
And the day after chemo, when I returned for my Neulasta injection, it was your careful monitoring of my blood counts that confirmed whether my body was recovering and ready for what came next. You were essential to my recovery. You are the faceless, nameless heroes who helped save my life. I will never forget that. Your work may sometimes feel routine or removed from the patient, but please know: it is deeply personal. You make a difference every single day, multiple times a day, in the lives of patients like me.
This painting is a reminder to see beyond the microscope to remember that there is a human story behind each specimen. I challenge you to bring the patient and family voice into your work whenever you can. At Michigan Medicine, more than 600 Patient and Family Advisors are ready to engage, to partner, and to share their lived experiences. We want to be part of what you do, because what you do matters. Because behind the lens, every slide, and every lab result, there is a patient. Like me.
Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to all our participants for their submitted work!
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
ON THE COVER
