Bordetella pertussis and Whooping Cough

Dr Maja Divjak is a biomedical animator who recently completed a mentorship with world-renowned biomedical animator Drew Berry, at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. The position was part of the VIZBIplus project, which aimed to train three new animators to communicate cutting edge research at their host institutions, using visually stunning and engaging 3d animation. After completing her PhD in the molecular biology of asthma, Maja spent quite some time in scientific sales, but was keen to bring together her love of art and science in some shape or form. This led to studies in 3d Animation at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Thereafter, she developed her skills on personal animation projects and stills for life sciences company Promega Corporation. In 2011, she won the 60 Second Science Competition, Australian Open Division for an animation detailing the immune response in asthma. Her first animation for the VIZBIplus project detailed how inflammation causes type 2 diabetes, via a unique structure known as the ‘inflammasome’. This animation was presented at the 2014 Vivid Festival of Light, Music and Ideas at the event ‘Making Science Beautiful’. She has also created a companion piece focusing on the insulin receptor structure and what might be happening in insulin resistance. She is currently resident Science Animator at the Gene Technology Access Centre, and has recently completed an animation about whooping cough. This animation will be shown at the 2016 Vivid Festival at the event ‘VizbiPlus - Visualising the Future of Biomedicine’.