Drawn to communicate science.
Christina earned a BFA in Illustration and a Medical Illustration Certificate from California State University, Long Beach. While completing post-baccalaureate science courses, she continued working as a graphic designer and illustrator. She also worked in prosection while overseeing a supplemental anatomy course. In collaboration with a colleague, she published a prosection manual for the university to guide student learning.
Christina earned her MS in Medical Illustration from Augusta University. During her time there, she received several accolades, including a Vesalius Trust Research Grant for her thesis on instructional design and 3D interactive modeling. She also earned an Award of Merit from the Association of Medical Illustrators Annual Student Salon for a patient education piece, an Award of Excellence and the William J. Stenstrom Award of Excellence from the AU/UGA Scientific and Medical Illustration Exhibition, and the Graduate School Educational Multimedia Poster Award at Augusta University’s Graduate Research Day.
After graduate school, she returned to the West Coast to work at a new medical school dedicated to supporting the community by training physicians to serve underserved minority populations. As the university welcomed its inaugural medical program cohorts, she gained valuable experience in startup culture and accreditation processes. She led the development of instructional infrastructure and training programs, creating resources to support student learning, university initiatives, and research. Working closely with administration, faculty, and clinical educators, she helped refine instructional delivery methods. She lectured in the medical school curriculum each semester, as well as in the Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) program’s anatomy course.
As the Manager of Instructional Resources, Christina spearheaded initiatives to support medical education, improve health literacy, and advance patient education. She also established an internship program to mentor aspiring instructional designers and medical illustrators, helping them gain professional insights and build their portfolios.
Christina has designed and implemented VR surgical training modules to enhance the quality and accessibility of surgical education. Collaborating with clients—including surgeons and medical device companies—as well as internal teams spanning art, UI/UX, engineering, client services, and surgical experts, she developed modules used to assess surgical competencies.
Currently, Christina creates media primarily for research publications and medical device education. She actively mentors individuals interested in the field and serves as the Portfolio Chair for the Board of Certified Medical Illustrators. As a Certified Medical Illustrator, she is committed to transforming complex medical content into outcome-oriented educational materials that improve learning for students, physicians, educators, and patients.