#SoCaltech: Inna-Marie Strazhnik

Visual abstract by Inna-Marie Strazhnik: “Single-cell nuclear architecture across cell types in the mouse brain,” Takei, et al. Science, 2021. ©Caltech

“Even though I have an art school background, I was a little too nerdy for art school—and a little too arty for science school. I fell somewhere in the middle. Medical and science illustration appealed to me because every single project is a fun challenge—a puzzle that you have to solve. The result should be evocative to spark interest but simple enough for the viewer to follow the message. And it’s lovely making beautiful graphics, but most of the work is in the sketching and in the notetaking. The way I think about it, it's just information in the beginning, and at the end it must go into someone's mind and become knowledge. That transformation happens because of a lot of planning and strategy.”

— Inna-Marie Strazhnik joined the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering in 2020 as visual communications specialist.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.