Allison Bruce is an artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, she studied art and design at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco and UC Berkeley Extension. Drawing inspiration from colors, shapes, and patterns found in nature, Allison creates scientific illustrations and fine art by combining traditional media such as graphite, acrylics, and alcohol inks with digital techniques. Her work has been showcased in the Images from Science 3 international exhibition and was the winner of BioImages 2022 Best of Show.

 Professional Experience

Scientific Illustrator and Designer | A. K. Bruce Design, Brisbane, CA
Owner and sole proprietor

  • Visual consulting studio specializing in the creation of custom scientific artwork using both traditional and digital techniques.

  • Work closely with clients one-on-one to conceive, draft, and produce illustrations and graphics for projects including journal publications, slide decks and poster presentations, web graphics, and journal cover art.

  • Team with communications groups to layout, design, and format informational materials to educate investors, doctors, and patients on current research and how their products and treatments are designed to work.

  • Provide support for the publication of clients’ research by preparing print-ready manuscript figures and graphical abstracts in compliance with journal specifications.

Sr. Graphics Specialist | Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
Full-time employee

  • Collaborate with departments throughout the company, including Research, Legal, Medical Affairs, and Corporate Relations, to produce scientific illustrations, animations, publication figures, web graphics, and other materials.

  • Provide presentation support to company executives for scientific conferences and corporate meetings.

  • Partner with teams of scientists, clinicians, and biostatisticians to develop large, complex, data-driven presentations (1000+ slides) for several FDA advisory committee meetings in Washington D.C. that ultimately led to drug approval.

Education

University Of California, Davis | Davis, CA
Bachelor of Science in chemistry

Academy Of Art University | San Francisco, CA
Illustration and graphic design studies

University Of California, Berkeley Extension | Berkeley, CA
Painting, art history, photography

Skills and Knowledge Areas

  • Broad background in and passion for visual storytelling

  • Extensive experience in time management and prioritization

  • Digital and traditional illustration

  • Graphic design

  • 2D animation / video compositing

  • Comprehensive software experience:
    Adobe Creative Suite | Microsoft Office | Blender | PyMOL | GraphPad Prism

Publications

Academic journals that have featured my work as cover art include:

  • Cell | Cancer Cell | Cell Genomics | Cell Reports

  • Chemical Science

  • CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics

  • Immunity

  • Journal of Biological Chemistry

  • Journal of Molecular Biology

  • Nature | Nature Chemical Biology

  • Science Translational Medicine

  • Trends in Biochemical Sciences

Volunteer Work

350 Bay Area
Produced graphics to be used on banners, table cloths, brochures and other materials for the Rise for Climate SF march.

Heritage Malta, Bighi, Malta | Architectural Conservation, Documentation Division
Assisted with detailed measurements and AutoCAD drawing and documentation of the Historic Lazzaretto Hospital (built in 1643) in Malta.

Exhibitions and Awards

BioImages | 2022
Best of Show and Premier Award in the BioCommunications Association’s annual visual media competition celebrating outstanding work in the life sciences and medicine. 

Images from Science 3 | 2019 - present
International juried, traveling exhibition celebrating “extraordinary examples of images that reveal science in new and unique ways.” In partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Art Science Fusion Project | 2001
Group exhibition developed by Gabriele Seethaler, unveiled during the 5th International Annaberg Conference, Schloss Goldegg, Austria. Additional exhibitions included showings at L’Uniaversità di Roma La Sapienza, and Harvard University, Boston, MA.

Professional Associations

Association of Medical Illustrators
Professional member

BioCommunications Association
Member