- Veronica Falconieri Hays
- HIV Vaccine Target
- Color
Specialized spikes (envelope glycoproteins, Env, colored orange, red, and yellow), stand out on the surface of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The spikes allow HIV to attach to CD4 and CCR5 proteins (blue, purple) on human immune cells. Researchers are developing versions of Env for vaccines, so that the immune system will recognize and combat the real spikes on invading viruses if a person is exposed to HIV. Sanders et al., HIV’s Achille's Heel. Scientific American 315(6): 53.
- Collections: Molecular
About the Artist: Veronica Falconieri Hays x
Veronica Falconieri Hays is a Certified Medical Illustrator in the Washington DC area specializing in medical, molecular, cellular, and biological visualization. She founded her company Falconieri Visuals in 2017 and works full time creating visuals for clients in biotech, pharma, and research fields.
Prior to founding Falconieri Visuals, Veronica earned her MA in Medical and Biological Illustration from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she studied medical subjects such as anatomy alongside medical students, as well as completing coursework in illustration and animation.
After graduating, Veronica worked within a cryo-electron microscopy lab at the National Cancer Institute. She collaborated extensively with researchers as they discovered structures of biological molecules, and is a published author in several journals including Science and Cell.
Education
MA, Medical & Biological Illustration, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
BA, Biological Sciences, Smith College