Science Writers and Communicators of Canada

A promotional post from the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. The post background is a pale green and at the top centre is the SWCC logo. The text reads "Want to be featured on our SciArt Spotlight Series? Send us a DM!". There are four black spotlights in each of the four corners of the image with yellow light leading to a circle of light around the large "SciArt Spotlight Series" text in the centre of the post, with the other text in green curved around the circle.

The SWCC is looking for Canadian SciArtists who would like to be featured on our social media platforms as part of our SciArt Spotlight Series! 🎨🧬

All forms of art that communicate science are welcome!

Interested? Send us a DM and we'll be in touch! 📩

#ScienceCommunication #SciArt

Poster titled ‘Volunteer with the Book Awards.’ Text explains that volunteers shape every part of the book awards process, from organizing to serving on the jury. An illustration shows three people carrying oversized books. Additional text invites volunteers to join as a Judge or Committee Member. A QR code appears at the bottom left, with a note encouraging people to scan it to get involved. The SWCC logo is displayed at the bottom right.

📚 Love science writing? Volunteer with the SWCC Book Awards! Apply today: bit.ly/4kPrFSa
#SWCCBookAwards #SciComm

A diagram of colon cross sections. The image on the left shows a close up of the different cell types within the walls of the colon and the image on the right shows a ring of the different layers of tissue within the colon. The text at the top reads “Colon Cross Sections”, and the artist’s name “Victoria Visser” is at the bottom.

A hand drawn picture of an owl sitting looking at the viewer. The artist’s signature, “Victoria Visser”, is at the bottom right hand corner.

Victoria holds a Master’s of Science in Immunology. During her studies, she found herself drawn to working with her hands and creating diagrams for her research. “That’s when I truly recognized the power of visual aids in making procedures and biological systems more intuitive and accessible.” 🦠

In addition to her background in research, Victoria has continued to develop her design and illustration skills through online graphic design courses and formal training at the Toronto School of Art. 🖌️

“My favourite part of being a SciArt artist is approaching each project like a puzzle. Some puzzles have many possible solutions, and finding the one that best serves both the client and the audience is always incredibly satisfying!”

Victoria loves to combine traditional and digital art to create unique and engaging visuals.

To connect with Victoria and see more of her work, visit her website at victoriavisservisuals.ca or reach out to her on LinkedIn at Grace (Victoria) Visser.

Stay tuned for next month’s SciArt Spotlight! If you or a SciArtist you know would like to be featured, send us a DM! 📩

#SciArt #ScienceCommunication

A medical diagram. At the top of the image is the title “Retrobulbar Hematoma, A Visual Guide” in white text on a blue rectangular background. Below the title is a drawn image of two eyes with blue irises. The eye on the left is healthy (unaffected eye), while the eye on the right is red and inflamed (affected eye). Five text boxes surround the image. The first text box has an arrow pointing to the red/purple skin around the eye and reads “Causes: Blunt orbital trauma can be confused with only bruising from trauma at early stages, check for proptosis”. A small diagram to the right overtop of the image depicts proptosis (displacement of the eye” and shows a cross section of two eyeballs within the head, one unaffected and one demonstrating proptosis in which a hematoma in the retrobulbar space presses on the optic nerve and causes the eyeball to protrude out of the head. The next text box beneath reads “Management: Lateral canthotomy procedure to remove pressure in the eye and supportive medication”. The third text box reads “Signs: Proptosis and blood vessel rupture in the conjunctiva”. The fourth text box reads “Symptoms: Vision loss, pain, pressure”. The final text box reads “Diagnose with: intraocular pressure (IOP) and CT scan”. At the bottom of the diagram on the left is the artist’s credit “Victoria Visser Visuals” and at the right is a list of two references used to create the diagram: “Andredi CM, Gardiner MF. Overview of eye injuries in the emergency department. In: UpToDate, Sorrey SB, Jacobs DS, Ganetsky M (Ed), Wolters Kluwer. (Accessed on November 5, 2025)” and “WikiEm contributors. Orbital trauma. WikiEm, The Global Emergency Medicine Wiki. Accessed November 5, 2025”.

A medical diagram. At the top of the image is the title “Components of the Arrow Quickflash Arterial Catheter” in black text on a white rectangular background. Below the title is a diagram depicting the medical device (a long grey syringe-like device) with four labels to identify each component. The first label points to the needle and reads “Needle with windows to confirm successful arterial puncture”. The next label points to a small black piece at the bottom of the device and reads “Lever to advance guidwire”. The next label points to a white catheter and reads “Catheter with hydrophilic coating for easy advancement and ‘wings’ for securement”. The final label points to a wire within the long grey tube in between the needle and lever and reads “Advanceable guidewire (in red) to guide the catheter into the artery”. There is a zoomed in image of the guidewire next to this label. At the bottom of the diagram on the left is small text that reads “Based on the arterial catheter by Teleflex Incorporated” and on the right is the artist’s name “Victoria Visser”.

A medial diagram depicting radial arterial line insertion. There are six panels of images, three on the top and three on the bottom. The first panel shows the catheter insertion device (a long grey syringe-type device with a white catheter component) with the text “For continuous blood pressure monitoring and acquisition during a code” and the text “Based on Arrow Quickflash Arterial Catheter” at the bottom with the artist’s name “Victoria Visser”. The second panel shows an outstretched arm with the palm faced up with the catheter insertion device angled 30° to 40° towards the wrist area and the text “identify radial artery via ultrasound and insert needle at a 30° - 40° angle”. The third panel shows a zoomed in picture of the catheter at the top with the text “The catheter is near the end of the needle…” at the top and an image of the needle entering the artery in the arm with the text “...so it can enter the artery with the needle” at the bottom. The fourth panel shows a person holding the catheter insertion device and guiding the catheter wire into the artery with the text “Hold catheter steady where it enters and advance guidewire using black handle”. The fifth panel shows the person moving the catheter along the arm with the text “Advance catheter manually so it will follow the guidewire and pull needle out to attach line”. There is a side image close up of the artery and needle showing the needle damaging the arterial walls with an X over the image and the text “Needle needs to be pulled out so that it does not disrupt the other arterial walls”. The sixth panel shows the catheter in place in the arm and the text says “The catheter line is taped into place and the line wraps around the patient’s thumb”. A final text box reads “Now: Sample collection and blood pressure measured more accurately than blood pressure cuffs”.

Say hello to this month’s SciArt Spotlight Series SciArtist, Victoria Visser! 🎨🧬

Based in Toronto, Victoria is a scientific illustrator who specializes in translating complex scientific and medical concepts into clear, accurate visuals for research, education, and healthcare communication.

A teal background with line-art illustrations of science symbols, including molecules, books and test tubes. Centered large white text reads, “2025 Book Awards Behind the Scenes.” Below it is an outline drawing of an open book. Additional text says, “Swipe through to learn more about our process,” accompanied by the SWCC logo.

A small fluffy dog sits beside several neatly stacked copies of the book The Science of Pets, which is prominently displayed in the foreground on a table. Additional stacks of books are arranged behind the dog. The teal graphic border contains science-themed illustrations and the caption, “Our volunteers pack over 100 books to send out to our judges! – SWCC.”

Stacks of longlisted books arranged on tables. The top image shows rows of colourful book spines lined up neatly against a white wall, with several feature titles displayed in front. The lower images show close-up views of large stacks of nonfiction books, including titles such as Think Like a Human. A teal background with scientific line illustrations frames the layout with text reading, “Our volunteers organize, package and ship stacks of longlisted books to send to our judges. – SWCC.”

Two photos of book displays arranged on a dark tabletop. Various science-related books across categories—youth, general, and paradigm—are lined up with covers facing forward. The teal background includes subtle science illustrations. Text at the bottom reads, “The SWCC Book Awards have three categories: Youth, General and Paradigm. – SWCC.”

Behind the Scenes of the SWCC 2025 Book Awards 📚✨
Books have landed in our judges mailboxes! Our team has been busy packing and shipping this year’s books to our jury members! 📦📖 Organizing the annual awards takes dedication from our amazing volunteers, and we couldn’t do it without them. Thank you!

A promotional graphic from SWCC titled “Choosing Your Publishing Adventure: Options for Science-Focused Books.” The top features the SWCC logo on a dark green background. Below the title are three side‑by‑side portrait-style photos representing the event speakers. Underneath the images, text reads: “An evening with Amanda Betts from Simon & Schuster Canada, Jenna Campbell from Orca Book Publishers and Emily Perkins of FriesenPress.” At the bottom, event details state: “Feb 19, 2026 | 5:00 – 6:00 pm ET | via Zoom.”

Are you an aspiring writer? Join us for an insightful virtual event featuring experts from across the publishing spectrum on 📆 Feb 19, 5-6pm ET. 🔗Learn more & register: sciencewriters.ca/event-6545202

@orcabook.bsky.social @simonschusterca.bsky.social @friesenpress.bsky.social

💡DEADLINE EXTENDED💡

Been meaning to submit an abstract for 🧬SWCC 2026 in Montréal (June 15–16)? You’ve got until Feb 14! 🗓️

👉 Apply here: shorturl.at/Svx4w

Share practical, creative, or student sci-comm work with our community.

#SWCC #Montreal2026 #SciComm #STEM

🚨 ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT TO APPLY! 🚨

Present at our annual conference this June!

🗓 Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
📍 Conference: Montréal | June 15-16, 2026

Full details and submission guidelines:
👉 lnkd.in/gJXHDvDB

#ScienceCommunication #Journalism #STEM #SWCC #Montreal2026

We are saddened to learn of the passing of The Honourable Kirsty Duncan. Dr. Duncan was a passionate advocate for gender equity in STEM and a champion of science communication. Our deepest condolences go out to her family and friends.

Promotional graphic for the SWCC 50th Anniversary Yearbook. Green background with large text reading “SWCC 50th Anniversary Yearbook.” The graphic highlights a limited number of print copies for sale at $24 plus HST. It includes images of interior yearbook pages from different decades (1960s, 1980s) and the book cover titled “From Typewriters to Twitter: Celebrating 50 Years of Science Writing in Canada.” Text explains that the yearbook explores the origins of SWCC and changes in science journalism over the last half-century, with instructions to purchase by emailing office@sciencewriters.ca.

📢 SciComm folks, big news!
The SWCC 50th Anniversary Yearbook is now available in print 📖

Explore how science writing & communication in Canada has evolved.

🛒Limited copies: $24 + HST
📩Order: office@sciencewriters.ca
📍 Free pickup in Ottawa
#SciComm #ScienceWriting #SWCC

A poster advertising an immersive show with the title “The Impossible Journey from Earth and Beyond”. The subtitle at the bottom of the poster says “An immersive experience on the exploration and discovery of life in the universe”. The poster features a large planet, moon, and satellite in space at the top, and at the bottom of the poster are two alien creatures swimming underwater. At the very bottom of the poster is the company logo for Critical Fusion.

A circular image of a 360° visual illustration depicting a reddish-brown planet at the centre surrounded by a complicated pattern of blue, red, and purple lines protruding outwards. A satellite is featured in the bottom left corner.

A circular image of a 360° visual illustration depicting a circular grid pattern featuring colourful circles with mathematical symbols and numbers on them and a satellite in the bottom right corner.

A circular image of a 360° visual illustration depicting blue and green shapes in a sphere with a satellite in the bottom right corner.

Based in Edmonton as Critical Fusion, Perry is a hands-on creative who is active in all aspects of visual media production.

“Throughout my career as a creative, I have always been involved in producing visuals for science-related content delivered in various formats”.

Perry attributes his work to his early days in university, where he majored in geology, geomorphology, and biogeography before transferring into visual communications.

A key component of his work involves developing science-based immersive 360° experiences for planetariums. 🪐

Perry’s work has been featured in print media, travelling exhibits, and immersive dome shows. Currently, “Legends of the Northern Sky”, a 360° show, is running at the Telus World of Science Edmonton and the Manitoba Museum.

The show has been translated to French and Mandarin, and has been featured abroad in China, France, and Romania. It has also been chosen by the Ecotarium in Massachusetts for a five-year run. His newest show in development, “The Impossible Journey”, explores the discovery of life.

“Creating visuals for science, for me, is about inspiring others to look deeper into the natural wonders that are all around us, and gain greater respect on how this complex weave has provided humanity the opportunity to observe, explore and discover.”

To see more of Perry’s work, visit his website at www.criticalfusion.com

Stay tuned for next month’s SciArt Spotlight! If you or a SciArtist you know would like to be featured, send us a DM! 📩

#SciArt #ScienceCommunication

A poster advertising an immersive show with the title “Legends of the Northern Sky” over top of a purple aurora borealis. The subtitle below says “An Animated, Immersive Dome Production about First Nations Myths and Legends of the Night Sky”. The poster background features a wolf sitting on a frozen lake next to snow banks with fish swimming below the ice. Above this is a starry night sky with a constellation and bare trees in the foreground. At the top of the poster is a list of awards the show has won or been nominated for, and at the bottom is a list of companies involved in the production (Critical Fusion, Telus World of Science Edmonton, and Reef).

A circular image of a 360° visual illustration depicting a fox-like animal walking on a frozen lake surrounded by bare trees, with fish below the ice, and a starry night sky above the snowy winter scene.

A poster advertising an immersive show with the title “Rhythms of Gaia” and the subtitle “An immersive odyssey into the eternal self, rediscovering the ancient rhythms of the natural world”. The poster features a purple and blue butterfly on top of a blue and green circle and a sun within a 10-pointed star at the top. The background is black with small and faint blue and green writing. At the bottom of the poster is a list of companies involved in the production (Critical Fusion and Takka Katta).

A circular image of a 360° visual illustration depicting a small Earth at the centre, surrounded by thin multi-coloured rings and large colourful circles that each have an astronomical symbol on them.

Welcome to the SWCC's 2026 SciArt Spotlight Series! 🎨🧬

To get us started, this month’s featured SciArtist is Perry Shulak, a creative director, writer, visual media designer, animator, and illustrator!

A promotional post from the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. The graphic shows five cartoon paintbrushes at the top of the image with pink and green paint on them and their tips surrounding the large bolded heading that reads "Hey SciArtists!". Below the heading is a green scribbled line and the text "We want to feature your work on our SciArt Spotlight Series!" Below this text is the SWCC logo (a green wavey line with the acronym SWCC to the right of it). The background of the post is a pale green colour with three light green paint splashes and two light pink splashes.

The SWCC is looking for SciArtists who would like to be featured on our social media platforms as part of our SciArt Spotlight Series! 🎨🧬

All forms of art that communicate science are welcome!

Interested? Send us a DM and we'll be in touch! 📩

#ScienceCommunication #SciArt

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The upper half of the graphic shows a photo of the University of Waterloo's Engineering 7 Building. Below the photo, a text reads: "In 1997, she joined the University of Waterloo, where she now leads the Ultrafast Laser Group and serves as associate chair of physics. She has also served as president of the Optical Society of America and as a director with the Canadian Association of Physicists." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The left half of the graphic shows a photo of Donna Strickland smiling with her left arm leaning over a laboratory optical table. She wears a colourful shirt and black pants. Besides the photo, a text reads: "A scientist, educator, innovator, and leader whose work reshaped modern technology and whose story inspires the next generation of innovators." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

Today she teaches and conducts research at the University of Waterloo, leading the Ultrafast Laser Group and continuing to inspire the next generation of scientists. (6/6)

#WomenInSTEM #LaserPhysics #CanadianScience

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The upper half of the graphic shows a black-and-white photo of Donna Strickland as a PhD student, seated at a laboratory optical table surrounded by laser equipment and wearing large safety glasses. She appears to be adjusting a component of the setup. Below the photo, a text reads: "Strickland studied engineering physics at McMaster University, drawn to its laser-focused curriculum, and graduated in 1981 as one of only three women in a class of 25. After that, she joined the University of Rochester, where she worked with Gérard Mourou, completing her PhD in 1989." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

After engineering physics at McMaster, she pursued her PhD at the University of Rochester with Gérard Mourou. About that time, she recalls: “It is the one time in my life that I worked very, very hard!” (5/6)

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The upper half of the graphic shows a black-and-white photo of the Strickland family taken in November 1964: Edith and Lloyd Strickland are sitting on a sofa with their three children: Anne, Donna and Rob. Below the photo, a text reads: "Born on May 27, 1959, in Guelph, Ontario, Strickland grew up with an English teacher mother and an electrical engineering father. She was the middle child between her sister Anne and her brother Rob." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The left half of the graphic shows the image of a green board with a polies diagram, several physics equations, and a hand holding a chalk that writes the last equation on the board. Besides this image, a text reads: "She loved school, and although a teacher once discouraged her from studying math and physics in high school because they were 'boys' subjects,' she refused to listen." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

Born in Guelph, Ontario, she grew up loving school. Even when a teacher claimed math and physics were “boys’ subjects,” she resisted. As she wrote on nobelprize.org: “We girls were told we could do anything we wanted, and I believed it.” (4/6)

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The upper half of the graphic shows a diagram explaining chirped pulse amplification (CPA). Step 1 shows a short light pulse entering a grating pair that stretches the pulse. Step 2 notes that stretching reduces the pulse’s peak power. Step 3 shows the stretched pulse passing through an amplifier, increasing its energy. Step 4 shows the pulse entering another grating pair that compresses it, producing a much more intense, ultra-short laser pulse. Below the diagram, a text reads: "Donna Strickland won the 2018 Nobel Prize for developing CPA in her first scientific paper (1985), enabling high-intensity, ultra-short laser pulses used in eye surgery, industrial machining, medical imaging, and high-powered laser systems." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

CPA enabled high-intensity, ultra-short laser pulses used in eye surgery, industrial machining, medical imaging, and nearly all high-powered laser systems. (3/6)

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The left half of the graphic shows the portrait of Donna Strickland sitting in an armchair and smiling. She wears a black suit and a white shirt. On the right half of the graphic, text reads: "Donna Strickland was the first Canadian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, only the second Canadian woman to win any Nobel Prize, and just the third woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics." The SWCC logo and hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

Strickland was the first Canadian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics (2018), recognized for the development of chirped pulse amplification (CPA), first described in her 1985 paper, published exactly 40 years ago. (2/6)

Graphic from the SWCC #ScientistSpotlight series featuring Donna Strickland. The upper half of the graphic shows the portrait of a woman scientist, Donna Strickland, smiling and leaning on her hand while sitting at a laboratory optical table filled with laser equipment. Below the portrait, there is a text that reads: "Donna Strickland, 10th Dec," a Nobel Prize Day emblem, and the words "Nobel Prize Day: Celebrating the brilliance, innovation, and compassion that inspire a better world." The SWCC logo and the hashtag #ScientistSpotlight appear at the bottom.

🧵December 10 is #NobelPrizeDay, and today #ScientistSpotlight highlights a trailblazing Canadian physicist: Donna Strickland. (1/6)

Stay tuned for more incredible artists in this series! If you want to be featured, or know a SciArtist who would be a great fit, make sure to tag them in the comments or send us a DM!
#SciArt #ScienceCommunication

"Ultimately, whatever my goal may be, both science and art play a pivotal role in helping me convey meaningful messages in my work."

🌍 Explore more of Nicole's #SciArt: vividsciences.squarespace.com