Art of Science

The Art of Science Competition seeks visually striking, artistic and scientifically accurate artwork created by St. Jude employees. The 2026 theme has been chosen as Patterns of Discovery. 

You can submit original artwork depicting a scientific concept or a science-related topic for a chance to have the work featured on the St. Jude Research homepage. The grand prize winner will receive additional St. Jude prizes. 

The 2026 Art of Science Competition will open for submissions in September. Full contest details coming soon. For more information, email SciCommArt@stjude.org 

The urge to understand one’s surroundings is deeply rooted in human nature; it’s why many of us come to work at St. Jude. Within the research institution’s walls, we employ science to soothe the deep ache that compels us to search for meaningful order and understanding, to feel wonder and astonishment — to quench our scientific wanderlust.

Oftentimes, we need a fresh perspective to understand our discoveries fully. Science often relies upon art for this: to move ideas from data points to discoveries. Art brings creativity and novelty into the scientific thought process, giving us the chance to view discoveries from new angles.

Understanding the importance of art in science, the Scientific Communication team in Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach (SCEO) launched the Art of Science Competition in 2024. This unique endeavor encourages employees and students to lean into their creative side and create science-themed artwork, giving a physical form to the often-invisible wonders of science.

Grand prize

In the second year of the annual St. Jude Art of Science competition, there were 37 submissions, each adhering to the theme, “Illustrating the stories of science,” and showcasing the individuality and talent of the artist. The grand prize winner is Hai Nguyen, a researcher in the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions. Nguyen’s acrylic painting, titled “Microuniverse: Zoom into the invisible,” depicts key interactions between components of biology and chemistry. It took the artist over 20 hours to complete and is representative of Nguyen’s scientific journey.

Arjumand Wani, PhD, a scientist in the Department of Developmental Neurobiology, was awarded second place. Wani’s acrylic painting, titled “Mapping hope: The art of spatial omics,” emphasizes how location, structure and molecular identity are inseparable in biology. “I hope viewers appreciate that spatial omics is not just about generating data, but about understanding context,” Wani said. “Spatial omics allows us to see biology as an integrated system rather than isolated parts.” 

Third place was awarded to Irin Tom, PhD, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics. “Stories of science” is a watercolor painting rooted in intentionality. For Tom, each brush stroke was deliberate and personal. “I am formally trained as a synthetic organic chemist and an electron microscopist, and I wanted to bring those parts of myself into the work through the flasks with a bright orange solution in the researcher’s hands and through the microscope.”

New to this year’s competition was the People’s Choice Award, which gave St. Jude employees the chance to vote on their favorite art submission. Over 1,350 votes were received, with the award going to Vivek Choudhary, DVM, PhD, from the Department of Immunology.

St. Jude’s core values take center stage in Vivek’s painting, titled Illuminating hope through science, as he emphasized that the institution’s core values go hand in hand with the science. For Choudhary, this piece is a reminder that behind each discovery is a child waiting for hope and healing.