The most common type of primary malignant brain tumour is glioblastoma multiforme. Despite treatment, average survival is less than one year. The ability of malignant gliomas to invade their surrounding brain tissue is a leading cause of tumour treatment failure and recurrence. The Rutka Laboratory at the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre (BTRC) at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, is developing a novel treatment in mouse models that targets proteins involved in glioma invasion. The tight regulation of the central nervous system environment by the blood-brain barrier provides a complex obstacle for drug delivery. The BTRC’s strategy uses microbubbles and focused ultrasound to reversibly disrupt the BBB at a targeted location, allowing gold nanoparticles carrying therapeutic agents to localize to the tumour in high concentrations. The nanoparticles are coated in antibodies specific to a tumour receptor, allowing them to bind, be endocytosed and release their drugs into the cell. This project intends to supplement this research with engaging visual storytelling that will appeal to both scientific and lay audiences. 

Top Video: Final animation
Created using Autodesk Maya 2015 and Adobe After Effects CC

Bottom Video: Animatic (a rough, mainly 2D version of the animation created to sort out visual problems, timing and sound)
Created using Autodesk Maya 2015, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Photoshop CC and Adobe After Effects CC

A short clip of "Outsmarting the Blood Brain Barrier". Comparison of the size of a red blood cell to an antibody-coated gold nanoparticle. The nanoparticle's small size allows it to escape the blood brain barrier and enter the space of brain tumour tissue. The antibody allows it to bind specifically to cancer cells, be internalized, and release it's anti-cancer drugs inside the tumour cell.

Created using Autodesk Maya 2015 and Adobe After Effects CC.

It's a rainy day in the lab! Check out this short 3D animation that dives into the microscope to see what a drop of pond water might hold.

Created using Autodesk Maya 2015 and Adobe After Effects CC.

Exploring 2D animation. Night turns to day for two busy doctors on the move in a hospital corridor!

Created using Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe After Effects CC.

Once upon a time I thought about applying to medical school and one of the things I remember is having 18 tabs open on my computer and an excel spreadsheet, trying to figure out the what's what for each school. As a data visualization project I decided to make an infographic on Canadian Medical Schools. I found it fascinating, in that it revealed some interesting trends on women in medicine (things aren't quite as equal as we'd like to think) and your odds of getting in (don't be from Ontario). Since the infographic is quite long, I made a scrolling video in hopes it makes it easier to view, pause and scrub through at your leisure.

Shining a spotlight on the anatomy of C. elegans Multivulva aka "Muv" phenotype. This specific phenotype is often used in genetic and cell biology research.

Illustration show below created using Adobe Illustrator. Animation effects added in Adobe After Effects.

This image was originally created in Adobe Illustrator as a digital card to be sent by email from the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto to staff and alumni. The falling snow effects were added in Adobe After Effects and exported as a GIF, so the falling snow plays on a repeated loop and appears to never end :)

Ever wonder where the money you donate to a charity goes? This short animated video was created for the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre (BTRC) at The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto). It shows where some of the funds from one of their greatest supporters - Meagan's Walk - have recently been spent. The annual Meagan's Walk and Hug (now in it's 16th year) takes place on the Saturday morning of Mother's Day weekend.

To donate or to learn more about Meagan's Walk please visit http://www.meaganswalk.com.

Created using Adobe After Effects CC.