Ally Abel

Biomedical Illustrator & Animator

Ally Abel is a biomedical artist, passionate about providing engaging scientific visuals. Merging artistic creativity with scientific inquiry, she uses her curiosity to find answers complex questions. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biological Pre-Medical Illustration with a minor in Microbiology from Iowa State University, graduating summa cum laude in 2023.  After graduation, she worked as a scientific illustrator at iso-form, honing her didactic illustration. Now at the Johns Hopkins University Medical and Biological Illustration graduate program, she is learning from and collaborating with medical and scientific professionals to illuminate the complexity of life, from the anatomical to the cellular. She plans to use her skills in artistic observation to tell compelling scientific narratives, that solidify basic scientific understanding and inspire curiosity in others.  

EMAIL: aabel5@jh.edu

2026

MA, Medical and Biological Illustration

Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

2023

BA, Biological/Pre-Medical Illustration

Minor in Microbiology

Iowa State University, Ames. IA

 

2025

2025

2025

Association of Medical Illustrators, Student Salon

Student Best of Show in Still Media, Orville Parkes Award

Award of Excellence in Anatomical Illustration

Award of Excellence in Anatomical Illustration

 

2026

Vesalius Trust for Visual Communication in the Health Sciences

Research Grant Recipient 

 

2025

2025

2024

2024

Johns Hopkins University

Frank H. Netter Memorial Scholarship in Medical Art

Gwynne M. Gloege Scholarship

William P. Didusch Scholarship

SOM Tuition Grant

 

2023

2023

2022

2022

Iowa State University

Warren D. Dolphin Studio Excellence Award

Phi Beta Kappa Society

Charles E. Townsend Studio Excellence Award 

ISU Honors Research Grant Recipient

2024

Abel, A., Ziman R. Learning Dogfish Shark Anatomy Using 3D-Printed Models: A Feasibility Study. Education Sciences. 2024; 14(1):34

2024

Abel, A., Malave-Ramos, D. R., Soni, B., Thai, C., Wu-Wu, A., Goodsell, D. S. & Burley, S. (2023) c-Abl Protein Kinase and Imatinib. PDB-101 Molecule of the Month, RCSB Protein Data Bank