JKX Comics

PhD students inspiring to create science themed comics to increase scientific literacy and public exposure to academic research!

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We're half way through September which means it's the start of #LatinxHeritageMonth/#HispanicHeritageMonth! Join us over the next 4 weeks to learn about the fascinating contributions Hispanic and Latinx folks made in #STEM! https://www.instagram.com/p/CiiN8bfORLd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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While the effects of last week’s devastating news continue to wash over the US and beyond, we still want to celebrate #pride and give visibility to #LGBTQInSTEM. So today’s highlight is by guest artist Aedan Gardill (@aedansarchive) of the fabulous @schuylerborges! Schuyler Borges is a graduate student at the University of Northern Arizona, where they have pioneered their own astrobiology research by collaborating with professors in various departments (biology, astronomy, geology) and colleagues from other universities around the world.  Their research focuses on studying cyanobacteria in Antarctica to understand the type of life we could find on exoplanets. By measuring the spectral signature of different bacterial communities in a (for most of the year) Antarctic dried up stream bed. Using this spectral information, these bacterial communities in the stream beds can be remotely detected using satellite imaging. In the future, when more powerful telescopes are available, this information can be used to detect bacteria living on distant planets.   Outside of academia, Schuyler passionately works with THRIVE Lifeline (@thrivelifeline), a crisis hotline dedicated to helping those with marginalized identities in STEM with mental health crises. Identifying as non-binary themselves, they want to make sure their peers with marginalized identities have the support they need in academia. Thank you for being you @schuylerborges! #PrideInSTEM #OutInSTEM #LGBTQinSTEM #Pride #astrobiology #antarctica #cyanobacteria #mentalhealth https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUoM5uOkh_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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For #PrideMonth, JKX Comics honors the remarkable work of Dr. Walter Westman, an expert in the fields of ecology, biogeography, and environmental policy. Along with his research, Dr. Westman was an activist for LGBTQ rights within the sciences.   Dr. Westman early research focused on the California coastal sage scrub where he studied the biogeography, ecology, and the impact of climate change on the flora. He published his work in multiple articles and books which contributed to policy change.   Beyond research, Dr. Westman was an advocate for LGBTQ rights and spoke out about the homophobia arising within the scientific community.  He founded the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists (now known as Out to Innovate).   Dr. Westman is an inspirational scientist who has altered our view on plant ecology and was an early proponent for a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable space in science. Thank you Dr. Walter Westman for your amazing work inside and outside of science.   #LGBTinSTEM #PrideinSTEM #OutinSTEM https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce1QDiRuknD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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It’s officially June! Which means it’s time to celebrate #Pride with highlights of fantastic folks who are #LGBTQinSTEM! Follow along to learn all about them! #PrideInSTEM #LGBTinSTEM #OutInSTEM https://www.instagram.com/p/CeUBA-UOX_W/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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To start off our #WomensHistoryMonth highlights, we’re honored to showcase Dr. Leslie Caromile (@lacaromile), an assistant professor at @UConn studying prostate cancer! Dr. Caromile is of Native American and Italian descent and received her PhD in pathology and mechanisms of disease at the University of Washington. Her lab studies a protein called prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), how it participates in prostate tumor growth, and how mutations in PSMA contribute to health disparities. Dr. Caromile also believes in giving back to one’s community, and as such devotes herself to mentoring students from historically excluded groups in the biomedical sciences. Dr. Caromile says, “Science is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourish. […] It is essential that all members of the community feel welcome, … all individuals are respected, and all voices are heard.” Thank you, Dr. Caromile! . 🎨 by @jayeperview . . . #WomensHistoryMonth2022 #WHM #WomenInSTEM #ProstateCancer #PSMA #LeslieCaromile #IWD2022 #InternationalWomensDay #BreakTheBias https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca2cypxuZB6/?utm_medium=tumblr

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It’s our honor today to highlight Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb, a dedicated cancer biologist who discovered an effective treatment for some skin cancers, lung cancer, and childhood leukemia! Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Dr. Plummer Cobb was raised from a family of STEM trailblazers, with her father being the first Black MD from Cornell University and her grandfather being a freed slave to becoming a Howard University graduate and pharmacist. She carried on in her family’s #STEM tradition by pursuing science, graduating with a PhD in cell physiology from New York University (@nyuniversity) in 1950. She also greatly excelled at all that she did. Plummer Cobb worked in a variety of institutions over her career and researched the effects of damaging agents (UV light, chemotherapy, etc.) and cell division. Her discovery of methotrexate as a chemotherapy agent is still being used today. In addition to her outstanding research, Dr. Plummer Cobb also was a deep advocate for increasing women and people of color in STEM careers. creating programs to support Black communities as the VP of 21st Century Foundation. Thank you for all that you’ve done Dr. Plummer Cobb - your legacy has lasting impacts in many arenas! 🎨 by @jayeperview #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackAndSTEM #CancerBiology #Melanoma #Methotrexate #BlackExcellence #BlackWomenRock #JewelPlummerCobb https://www.instagram.com/p/CaXpv5bPIU2/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Do you recognize the amazing individuals in this picture? Here’s a hint: what they have in common is that they are all #BlackAndSTEM! With the start of February we’re excited to continue our tradition of highlighting more #BlackExcellence for #BlackHistoryMonth! So follow along each week as we work to make these figures hidden no more! . . . #BHM2022 #BlackScientists #JKXComics #science #illustration #PortraitArt #ThisIsWhatASceintistLooksLike #HiddenFigures #HiddenNoMore https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcTo8vJ3AI/?utm_medium=tumblr

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For #LatinxHeritageMonth, we’re thrilled to highlight Dr. Ana María Porras Corredor (@AnaMaPorras), an assistant professor at @UFBME, @ifthenshecan ambassador, and fierce advocate for #InclusiveSciComm! Originally from Colombia, Dr. Porras Corredor came to the US to follow a dream of being a biomedical engineer. After obtaining a BS, MS, & PhD in the field, her lab now focuses on using engineering to study how microbes cause diseases in humans. She also actively works to share the benefits of microbes through her crocheted #sciart in English and Spanish online (@anaerobias ), through her teaching as a professor at @UFBME and through her outreach with Clubes de ciencia (@CdeC_col). Dr. Porras Corredor is such a fierce advocate for multicultural/lingual communication that in addition to co-founding @LatinxInBME, the first @storycollider event hosted all in spanish was thanks to her efforts as an #IfThen ambassador. Thanks for all you do Dr. Porras Corredor! . PS: If you'd like to help support Dr. Porras Corredor ( @AnaMaporras ) and @CdeC_Col and/or crochet your own microbe, you can make a donation at http://bit.ly/ClubesGuajira! (Swipe photo) . . . #WomenInSTEM #LatinxInSTEM #LatinxInBME #BiomedicalEngineering #Microbes #CrochetArt #Crochet #Science https://www.instagram.com/p/CUaftDzFWYs/?utm_medium=tumblr

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To close out #PrideMonth, we’re celebrating the work of Dr. Alan Hart: physician, radiologist, scientist, and writer. Dr. Hart is one of the first individuals to undergo a female to male transition, pioneering in every facet of his life. After obtaining his medical degree @OHSU in 1917, Dr. Hart decided to undergo hormone therapy for female to male transition. While this change was one of the happiest choices he made, he faced difficulties in maintaining a job due to his transition. Dr. Hart continued to pursue medicine and focused on tackling one of the deadliest diseases at the time, tuberculosis (TB). Dr. Hart became interested in using X-rays as a way to detect TB and created TB screening clinics which helped detect and treat patients. To address the growing spread of TB, Dr. Hart wrote medical articles on TB detection. He also promoted awareness of TB through #scicomm pop press articles targeting the public. Thank you Dr. Hart for your dedication and remarkable work! . . . . #pride #pride2021 #LGBTQinSTEM #LGBTQ #trans #QueerInSTEM #tuberculosis #xrays #AlanHart #jkxcomics https://www.instagram.com/p/CQxIYOCjz7E/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Outside of the Noble Prize, there are a few awards and honors that let you know a scientist is a big deal. Today, we’re honored to highlight Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, the current biggest deal to happen to chemistry. As an HHMI investigator, National Academy of Sciences member, & MacArthur “Genius” awardee, Dr. Bertozzi is recognized for her excellence studying the biology/chemistry of sugars on cells’ surfaces (called glycans) & how that affects human health/diseases. Her research focuses on “bioorthogonal chemistry” (a term she coined in 2003) – or chemical reactions that happen in a living system but do not interfere with its natural functions – such as attaching molecules to the outside of cells without toxicity. Outside of science, Dr. Bertozzi has also done tremendous work with regards to helping the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurship; having established a variety of biotech startups and accumulating numerous teaching awards. For more information, check out her lab group website: https://bertozzigroup.stanford.edu/carolyn-bertozzi or listen to her interview on The Long Run podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep42-carolyn-bertozzi/id1282838969?i=1000434546627 #Pride #Pride2021 #PrideMonth #ChemicalBiology #LGBTQinSTEM #LGBTinSTEM #glycan #BioorthoganalChemistry #Chemistry #WomenInSTEM #CarolynBertozzi https://www.instagram.com/p/CQJcpqDjzzF/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Have you even had a seaweed cake? Dr. Isabella (“Izzy”) Aiona Abbott, a renowned algae marine biologist and first Native Hawaiian to receive a PhD in science, wrote a book with a recipe for such a cake to better connect Hawaiian flora and culture. As a child, her mother taught about the edible Hawaiian seaweeds and instilled in her a love for plants that’s shown through her education, as she earned her bachelors (1941), master’s (1942), and PhD (1950) degrees all in botany. After being hired as a Biology lecturer at Stanford University in 1960, she had the chance to show her exceptional teaching and research prowess. So much so, that the school promoted her to full professor in 1972 despite not being hired for a tenure-track position. Authoring 8 books and over 150 publications, Dr. Izzy Abbot was considered the authority of algae of the Pacific Ocean. Her love for botany and her culture was so great, that even after retiring in 1982, she continued to work in ethnobotany at the University of Hawaii. To read more about this incredible scientist (and for a recipe for seaweed cake), explore the links below! https://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/december/izzie-abbott-obit-120710.html https://womenshistory.si.edu/news/2021/05/marine-botanist-isabella-aiona-abbott-and-women-know-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage . . . #AAPIHM #AAPIHeritageMonth #WomanCrushWednesday #WomenInSTEM #algae #botany #ethnobotany #MarineBiology #IsabellaAionaAbbott #JKXComics https://www.instagram.com/p/CPV5vFVDpzH/?utm_medium=tumblr

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We’re officially in May which means it’s time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islanders in STEM for #AAPIHeritageMonth! Join us over the next to learn about the contributions of four trailblazing #AAPI STEMists! . . . #AAPIHM #STEM #ScienceIsForEveryone #JKXComics https://www.instagram.com/p/COYFrUFDb8g/?igshid=1db6humoljc3n

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Making bold innovations in computer science and engineering once is remarkable. But to do it twice while pioneering the foundation of many computing methods and high-tech companies is revolutionary. And that’s exactly what the incredible @conwaylynn did. Lynn Conway is most known as a renowned computer scientist and co-author of the textbook “Introduction to VSLI Systems” – what started as a guide and became the future standard microprocessor and memory chip design. Very large-scale integration (VSLI) is a system used to create many circuits in a single piece of semiconductor as opposed to electronic components – allowing for smaller, cheaper, and more efficient microchip creation. This revolutionary work occurred when she restarted her career in “stealth mode” after her gender transition in 1968. Before this, Lynn had made major contributions to out-of-order dynamic instruction scheduling (DIS) in computers at IBM but was fired for being transgender. DIS is the basis that allows supercomputers to complete tasks out of the order it’s written in when it can be executed independently of other tasks. However, she was separated from this work for 30+ years simply for being who she is. As such, in addition to being the STEM superstar she is, Lynn Conway is also a fierce transgender activist. Thank you for all that you do @conwaylynn! #WomensHistoryMonth #WHM #WomenInSTEM #TransInSTEM #ComputerScience #ElectricalEngineering #WomenInEngineering #LynnConway https://www.instagram.com/p/CM0VRNFj13N/?igshid=12poakdaq16bw

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If you’ve played a home gaming console, chances are you had the ability to choose from an array of cartridges to plug in and play. This ability is all thanks to Gerald “Jerry” Lawson; the mastermind behind the very first game cartridge and our final #BlackHistoryMonth highlight! Encouraged by a first grade teacher, George Washington Carver, and the profession denied his grandfather, Lawson wanted to be a scientist from early on. His parents encourage this passion, so by 13 Jerry earned an amateur ham radio license and repaired TVs in high school. This passion continued into adulthood, where in conjunction with joining Fairchild Semiconductor as a field application engineer in 1970, he created and built the arcade game Demolition Derby in his garage. Discovery of his side project allowed Jerry to become the Director of Marketing in the newly formed Game Development department at Fairchild. Now Lawson had the freedom to test whether games could run on microprocessors. Here, he led the team that created the first game cartridge and console, the Fairchild Channel F - using the Intel’s microprocessor invented a few years prior. Lawson’s work was truly revolutionary and is the foundation for video games as we know it. . . . . #science #comics #videogames #fairchildchannelf #GeraldLawson #JerryLawson #STEM #blackhistorymonth https://www.instagram.com/p/CL207pQj2ss/?igshid=1wgc3ks7ydgfr

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We honor the amazing work of Dr. Ivor Benjamin, a scientist and medical doctor focusing on cardiovascular disease at the Medical College of Wisconsin. His research involves understanding a family of stress proteins called Heat Shock Proteins and their role in heart disease. Dr. Benjamin is recognized for both his clinical and research expertise. He has authored over 130 books, book chapters, and scientific papers which range from heat shock proteins, stem cells, COVID-19, and advancing/promoting healthcare. Dr. Benjamin was the president of the American Heart Association (@american_heart) from 2018-2019 and is the Director of Cardiovascular Center at the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin (@medicalcollegeofwi). In addition, he was a recipient of the Pioneer Award from NIH. Keep on being amazing Dr. Ivor Benjamin! #BlackInSTEM #blackhistorymonth #science #scicomm #blacklivesmatter https://www.instagram.com/p/CLmkXkhjlHx/?igshid=kmv254yl1rdq

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Today is the day! JKX Comics is officially launching a Kickstarter for our product "Gaining STEAM!, Illuminating research through art!" Gaining Steam was a collaborative project made possible by artists and scientists to teach the community about the scientific advancements happening at @uwmadison using comic books. Now you don't have to ponder about how stars were formed or about the origins of life, we have you covered! We created SEVEN comic books, and neatly packaged them, and bios of about the scientists and artists behind the work, into a single book for your reading pleasure. Trust us, it's a pleasure to read! To secure your copy, head over to our Kickstarter page and show us some love! We'd be eternally grateful! . . . #selfpublishing #kickstarter #science #science comics #comics #UWMadison https://www.instagram.com/p/CLUgsS6DSbb/?igshid=hme9kfbe4mmy

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Nurse. Inventor. Two nouns to describe the #STEM wonder that is our first #BlackHistoryMonth highlight – Marie Van Brittan Brown, a New York native who wanted to increase the security of her home and thus created the first home security system herself. Marie Van Brittan Brown was born and raised in New York City where she resided for the entirety of her life until her passing on Feb 2nd, 1999. Her STEM path began with a nursing career, but she is best known as an inventor. Working odd & opposite hrs to her husband which left her alone at night, Van Brittan Brown wanted to be able to see who was at her door if she heard knocking. Using peep holes, 2-way microphones, cameras, & a television, Marie invented what became the 1st home security system. Additionally, her system had a built-in alarm that would allow her to contact police at the push of a button. The closed-circuit television (CCTV) and security system Marie Van Brittan Brown invented are the foundation of what’s used today. We’re honored to help keep her legacy going through this highlight. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth2021 #WomenInSTEM #BlackandSTEM #Nurse #HomeSecurity #CCTV #Inventor #MarieVanBrittanBrown https://www.instagram.com/p/CLCe_eEjRLR/?igshid=gplekr1wnuwu