Several years ago, as I was working on developing my scientific career, I was presented with the Myers-Briggs test. Myers-Briggs test is a widely accepted assessment of one’s own personality. It is meant to provide information to begin understanding your own qualities. This includes identifying your strengths and weaknesses and finding ways to take the... Continue Reading →
“The Mind” – an artistic experiment – Part II
This work and its counterpart started out as a little sketch in my bullet journal. I had the idea of creating two "identical" pictures. One showing empty space in the shape of a neuron and the other being its mirror image that is filled with an actual cell. Here's the birth certificate of this idea.... Continue Reading →
Breaking the stigma
A while back I wrote about using art to fight disorder-associated stigma. As a preface to this post, I will quote a short passage and you can find the whole post here. A couple of years ago, I attended a large meeting, where people working in the biomedical community were presented with a new potential... Continue Reading →
So grateful for this feedback
This quote was recently posted on Facebook in association with my latest piece "Sunrise". I am so thankful for the kind words from one of my customers Carla Harris! "I love the art of Yana Zorina, a neuroscientist whose artworks are inspired by her field of scientific research. I have been following this blog for... Continue Reading →
“Sunrise”
One of the major challenges in the field of neuroscience is the poor ability of neurons to regenerate after acute injury. Conditions such as spinal cord injury sever the neuronal connections, leading to permanent paralysis with no treatments currently available. After birth, the vast majority of neurons lose their ability to divide and create new cells,... Continue Reading →
Creating retrospective art stories
Between the lines I was never a big fan of English classes in school. I really like to read, but it always irked me when a teacher would ask us questions about what the author may have meant to be read "between the lines". Unless the author wrote an autobiography, there is no way to... Continue Reading →
“Art of the Brain” Exhibition
I am thrilled to announce that my artwork will be featured at the”Art of the Brain” exhibit at Mount Sinai next Monday (3/12). There will be an opening reception and over 80 total pieces of scientific images and sculptures from Sinai. The reception will be held at 6 – 8 pm and the exhibit will... Continue Reading →
“All Wrapped Up”
Here is the long promised piece I made last year. It is based on a confocal microscopy image that I took at my previous job. All Wrapped Up, 2017 Just like a wire, neurons use electrical signals to convey information. And similarly to wires, neurons require outer insulation for efficient communication. This insulation is provided... Continue Reading →
Epilepsy awareness
Experiencing an epileptic seizure can be quite scary. It comes as a wave of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can lead to a wide spectrum of symptoms. These symptoms can range from feeling lightly nauseous and unsteady, to exhibiting uncontrollable jerking movements and losing consciousness. It can be debilitating, not only at the... Continue Reading →
“Abyss”
Here's my most recent creation - "Abyss". It is my first attempt at making an abstract piece while remaining true to the science behind it. Based on a recent article about a potential amoeba outbreak after Hurricane Irma, this image depicts human nerve cells being ingested by the amoeba. Such an infection can lead to swift... Continue Reading →
