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Volume 32, Number 12—December 2026
Another Dimension
Using Cover Art from Emerging Infectious Diseases to Inspire Microbiological Education1
Suggested citation for this article
Abstract
The Emerging Infectious Diseases journal covers demonstrate how art can depict, explain, and humanize science. Inspired by those works, this article shares teaching strategies to integrate art into microbiological education. With this curriculum, I encourage others to explore how art can deepen our understanding of microbiology and the world around us.
Every month the Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) journal cover showcases a work of art to visually depict the relationship between science and humanity’s lived experience. Incorporating visual art into each edition humanizes content for scientists while also increasing interest for those outside the field (1). This tradition began in December 1997 when the painting Bloemstilleven, Floral Still Life (2) was chosen to represent that edition’s theme of foodborne illness. In October 2000 (3), issues started to include About the Cover essays to provide details on the artist, relevant history, and a brief interpretation that contextualizes why the artwork was chosen and how it relates to infectious disease and public health (4). In the years since 2000, covers have included art directly inspired by microorganisms, such as The Pathogen Quilt (5), or works created by those who have personally experienced infectious disease, such as Paulina Siniatkina’s painting Don’t Speak (6). Several of those covers were highlighted in the 30th anniversary edition and in the 2013 book by founding managing editor Polyxeni Potter (7,8); in addition, the online archive of EID cover art provides a complete visual record from its inaugural appearance in 1997 through now (9).
The collection of more than 320 EID covers provides a unique opportunity to consider the various ways infectious disease can be visually represented. For example, in reviewing the wide range of influenza-inspired artwork, John Singer Sargent’s Interior of a Hospital Tent featured on the October 2018 cover, shows a rare moment of calm during World War I (10). Inspired by Sargent’s recovery from influenza alongside wounded soldiers, the painting helps us remember the war, illness, and death experienced a century before. Similarly, the cover with Egon Schiele’s Self-Portrait with Physalis draws attention to an artist who died during the 1918 influenza pandemic, just 3 short days after his wife and unborn child succumbed to the virus (11). Although those 2 examples effectively communicate history and loss, others depict viral transmission, such as Ellis Wilson’s Caribbean Bird Vendor, which not only portrays the relationship between the bird trade and avian influenza but also illustrates how socioeconomic conditions connect to disease spread (12). Similarly, Jenny Howard’s stained-glass The Natural History of Influenza A Virus expands on the virus’s zoonotic nature and explores the importance of antigenic shift and the threat of pandemic flu (13).
Instead of treating art and science as separate domains, EID adopts an interdisciplinary approach by pairing each issue’s cover artwork with an accompanying essay that explores its scientific connections and relevance to public health (4). This defining publication feature successfully exemplifies how creative, visual perspectives can support efforts to inform and educate, providing a model for art-based teaching and learning in science education. In this article, I share curricular resources from an Art and Infectious Disease elective created at the University of Washington, Bothell (Washington, USA), including several innovative art-based assessments. My goal was to help instructors expand their pedagogy while also inviting scientists, public health professionals, artists, and others to consider how art can deepen understanding and engagement with the microbial world.
The EID covers inspired me to consider how art could be integrated into microbiological education, which resulted in developing an elective course that explores connections between art and infectious disease. The course introduces core concepts of medical microbiology such as cause, transmission, treatment and prevention, while fulfilling a humanities requirement because students will consider how they can artistically represent what they have learned; although the course is designed for nonmajors, most students are nursing or health studies. This class has primarily been offered 100% online over a 9- or 10-week quarter that is divided into weekly asynchronous modules. A sample syllabus is provided for those interested in learning objectives, course schedule, assignment descriptions, and grading rubrics (Appendix 1).
The course begins with a review of several resources that explore the relationship between art, science, and medicine, after which students reflect on how they identify as either analytic or artistic (Appendix 2). That reflection leads into a discussion around the false dichotomy of art versus science, with many students commenting on how past academic experiences and the pressure to always be correct has left them feeling insecure and vulnerable when exploring artistic expression. Such pressure and insecurity are especially true for nursing and premedical students, who find it challenging to be creative because of the high demands of clinical training and professional performance.
Recognizing the insecurity in exploring artistic expression is a common theme, I find it helpful to include Mingqian (Shelly) Xie’s work as a biology student at Stanford University. Although she was often conflicted about her love of science and art, she combined her talent and knowledge to develop the work Neglected (14,15). In that performance, Xie uses sand on a light box to create, manipulate, and shift images depicting schistosomiasis’ life cycle and the effect the social dimensions of health have on this neglected disease. This visual narrative gives a compelling example of interdisciplinary thinking that provides a foundation that fosters an appreciation for art’s role in medicine, science, and public health. As an introductory resource, Neglected illustrates how art will serve as a tool for learning and reflection during the course.
After those introductions, the class explores Hansen disease, plague, cholera, influenza, tuberculosis, HIV, and Ebola virus. Each weekly infectious disease module follows the same general format; students start with science-based materials that are assessed by using a mini-lecture quiz strategy (16). After learning about the pathogen, epidemiology, transmission, treatment, prevention, and major historic or current events, students reflect on a collection of artwork.
Art Reflections
Each weekly infectious disease module introduces students to a microorganism, after which they are asked to explore, interpret, and reflect on a collection of related artwork. They are assessed by their ability to articulate how art captures the pathogen’s history, science, medicine, and epidemiology. This exercise challenges students to develop observational skills as they analyze their surroundings by using a microbiological lens, thereby enhancing understanding, deepening critical thinking, and fostering resiliency and empathy. I have chosen the course’s artwork to emphasize art’s role in recording history, raising awareness, advocating for change, and recovering from illness. More than 80 teaching resources are available for pathogens covered in the class (Appendix 2). This supplemental resource is particularly intended for educators but might be of interest to those seeking more extensive examples of art related to infectious disease.
Each art reflection includes a collection of historic and contemporary works that often feature EID covers (Appendix 2). For Ebola, for example, the course examines a microscopic image predating the formal adoption of cover art (17) and Edward Epp’s watercolor on the February 2016 issue (18). After reading Byron Breedlove’s accompanying essay that describes how Epp’s use of color, light, and movement reflects the relationship between urbanization and disease spread (18), I encourage students to critically interpret the work drawing on their understanding of Ebola and the epidemiology of past outbreaks. For example, the focal palm tree might prompt students to consider the role of fruit bats as a reservoir in this zoonosis; alternatively, some might note the red tones and make connections to the bleeding associated with this hemorrhagic disease; others might see the structure of the thread-like virus in the gray horizontal lines.
Of note, the EID covers I highlight do not always explicitly depict a disease, which is the case with van Gough’s The Starry Night (19) from May 2025. That painting illustrates the importance of patterns in data visualization, reinforcing how art can support science communication and health education. Other art-based resources are provided for students to evaluate the importance and effectiveness of art in data visualization, including infographics generated for past and current Ebola outbreaks (20–22). As students review materials, they are asked to consider the intended audience and how a person’s background, knowledge, and experience influence understanding. Whereas visual analytic dashboards might successfully disseminate information to some audiences, I share Leslie Lumeh’s work on posters for the 2014–2015 Kick Back Ebola campaign in West Africa as an example of how art can be used as a more effective public health intervention for priority populations (23–25). Students evaluate those posters for their accuracy and effectiveness in communicating risk, promoting early recognition of illness, and encouraging timely medical care. In addition, we discuss the importance of visual messaging in regions with multiple languages or limited literacy.
Another theme in this class is to emphasize the importance of art in documenting, processing, and recovering from illness and epidemics. Building off Lumeh’s role in the Ebola public health campaign, we look at his wider body of work, including Playing is Here Again and Keeping the Message Alive (26). Using those 2014–2015 paintings, as well as David Odusote’s Yellow Suites and Kofi Allen’s Ebola Butterfly Defect (27,28), students reflect on the different ways each artist chose to capture the realities of the Ebola epidemic. In their analysis, students are asked to consider art’s role in documenting a public health crisis and how the work supports healing for persons and communities.
Lumeh, Odusote, and Allen’s paintings not only exemplify how art enriches the historic record but also its role in raising awareness and fostering empathy among those not directly affected. In our Ebola unit, this theme is further explored by considering how biologically accurate artwork humanizes science. That discussion includes David Goodsell’s intricate watercolors and Luke Jerram’s delicate glass microbiological sculptures (29–32). Those pieces are supplemented with the illustration from the Art Against Ebola campaign (33); students return to what they learned about the biology of this virus because they justify which of the individual snake heads best represent Ebola and why. In a final prompt, students are asked to reflect on how such initiatives can mobilize support, resources, and public engagement.
Mystery Picture Discussions
After the art reflection, students finish each infectious disease module with a mystery picture discussion. Much as editors must carefully select artwork for each EID cover, in this assignment, students are tasked with finding an image that captures what they have learned about the pathogen. This assignment is basedon the idiom “a picture is worth a thousand words” and was modeled after a visual art activity implemented in an upper-division microbiological course (34). This assessment has been designed to round out each unit by evaluating not only students’ understanding of microbiology but also their skill in translating that knowledge into visual form. Following the Save the Last Word for Me discussion strategy, students present their image in small groups without comment or explanation (35). Members take turns commenting on what they notice and how they see the image connected to the history, etiology, transmission, treatment, and prevention of that week’s microorganism. The discussion ends when the original presenter explains where the picture came from, what inspired their choice, and how their interpretation has shifted on the basis of peer feedback. This activity has previously been accomplished by using online discussion boards but could easily be adapted for in-person learning. Additional details, including a grading rubric, can be found in the sample syllabus (Appendix 1).
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2. Watercolor painting created by Isabelle Nguyen for a cholera mystery picture discussion illustrates how students can create their own original artwork on the basis of how they interpret microbiological concepts,...
Figure 3
Figure 3. Photograph of a moldy peach submitted by Kat Wright for a tuberculosis module demonstrates how students see microbiology and human health represented in nature for a course on using cover...
Figure 4
Figure 4. Photograph taken in downtown Seattle by Matt Keenan for a discussion of plague submitted in a course on using cover art from Emerging Infectious Diseasesto inspire microbiological education....
The mystery picture discussions successfully encourage students to pause and reflect on how they see science, microbiology, and public health reflected in their surroundings. For their submissions, students are encouraged to engage with different forms of artistic observation. That engagement can include finding professional art in museums and public spaces (Figure 1), creating original pieces (Figure 2), identifying art in nature (Figure 3), and capturing photographs of their everyday environments (Figure 4). Exploring those varied forms of artistic expression helps students broaden how they engage with scientific content across professional, personal, natural, and everyday contexts. Considering that the goal of this assignment is to think creatively about how microbiology is reflected in art, everyday life, and the spaces we inhabit, online images (such as those retrieved through an internet search) are not accepted.
Art Gallery Research Project
In addition to the weekly assignments, I have created a visual arts–based, quarter-long research activity. In this project, students gather information on the incidence, prevalence, microbiology, transmission, symptomology, treatment, and prevention of a medically relevant pathogen. However, instead of producing a formal paper, this work culminates in a curated gallery including artistic pieces that communicate what students have learned. In the online version of the class, galleries are created by using platforms such as Google Sites, Adobe Express, or Canva. Specific instructions, requirements, and a rubric are included in the sample syllabus (Appendix 1).
For the galleries, I encourage everyone to find local examples of art from museums, galleries, and public spaces, but unlike the mystery picture activity, students may use online resources such as the archive of EID cover art (9) or Google Arts & Culture. That use of online resources enables students to expand their search to find pieces that best represent their project. For example, a student working on a rabies gallery might draw on the February 2025 EID cover featuring Un Cas Grave ou La Leçon de Médecine and accompanying essay A Pictorial Human Case of ‘Furious Rabies’ (37) or choose Inés Cámara Leret’s Spit Crystal to represent the importance of saliva in transmission (38). In addition, the mosaic adorning Louis Pasteur’s crypt could be included to represent the history and importance of vaccination as well as disease transmission by narrowing in on the growling dog (39). A fourth option could be Federico Uribe’s sculpture Zorro Plateado that not only depicts a primary vector but also emphasizes the virus’ shape because the fox is made entirely of bullets (40).
Figure 5
Figure 5. Audrey Rippey used needle felting to create this original work for her Marburg research project in a course on using cover art from Emerging Infectious Diseasesjournal to inspire...
Although most students choose to showcase work by other artists, some use that assignment as an opportunity to create pieces of their own, such as a Marburg-inspired needle felting (Figure 5). Whereas original artwork is optional for the online class, it is a required element of the ultra-hybrid course that includes an art show during an in-person meeting. Regardless of artistic skill or confidence, everyone is encouraged to find a way they can uniquely and creatively showcase their research. The art show has produced incredible artwork by using a wide range of media including photography, painting, textile work, baked goods, and Lego sculptures.
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 7. Kat Wright’s photograph exhibits how influenza viral shape, including spike proteins, are reflected in nature and was submitted in a course on using cover art from Emerging Infectious Diseases journal...
Figure 8
Figure 8. Photograph of a bird that accidentally made its way into a fireplace was captured by Clair Budge to illustrate how the concepts of infectious disease can be reflected in everyday...
Figure 9
Figure 9. Photograph of a neon sign at a local restaurant, submitted by Denver Do Le, is an example of how students reinterpret familiar surroundings on the basis of what they have...
Paralleling EID’s use of cover art to advertise, explain, and humanize the research within, integrating art into microbiological education has proven to be a powerful teaching tool, offering an interdisciplinary approach that supports the conceptional understanding of infectious disease while building critical thinking skills and empathy. That interdisciplinary approach is evident in how students analyze and interpret the art examples I provide, as well as the images, songs, poems, and other works of art they have shared in their discussions and final galleries. As Dr. McNealy noted in her experience using a similar visual art assignment, the “connections between art and science are only limited by the student’s imagination” (34). My students’ submissions are educational and compelling and stimulate a wealth of discussion. In reflecting on the work they have produced over the years, I am struck by the diversity of perspectives in how students see what they have learned. Similar to the different EID covers highlighting the many ways influenza can be depicted, the mystery pictures shared by students similarly demonstrate the diversity in how they see, understand, and interpret this virus (Figures 6,7,8,9).
In addition to my own observations, course evaluations indicate that the combination of science quizzes, art reflections, mystery picture discussions, and gallery projects enable student success, including a more thoughtful analysis that moves beyond simple recall because students are asked to consider the broader cultural and societal context of infectious disease. Students report they leave the class viewing not just art but everyday objects in a way that helps them recognize connections not previously considered. In addition, course reflections indicate the assignments prompt deeper engagement with how illness shapes cultural and visual representation and how creative expression can help process and communicate complex public health topics.
My success in using art as an instrument for students to deeply engage with microbiology is not unique because of the experiences of other science instructors who similarly incorporate art in their teaching. In an animal physiology class, for example, students demonstrated improved engagement, curiosity, and critical thinking through the analysis of museum pieces in the context of biological pathways associated with love (44). Similarly, assignments involving music and visual art implemented in an upper-division microbiological course increased participation, fostered higher order thinking, and improved knowledge retention (34). Within medical and nursing education, art can make complex topics more accessible and strengthen key professional skills. Those programs have found that integrating art into coursework builds observational skills and evidentiary reasoning while fostering teamwork and empathy (44–48).
Embedding art into preclinical education has been shown to help students develop emotional intelligence, which will help them navigate the psychological challenges they might encounter as healthcare professionals (45). The mental health benefits of this curriculum were most evident during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; most of my students were working as frontline responders. Reflections during that time suggest that integrating art into microbiological education, particularly through the mystery picture discussions, provided critical opportunities for observation, reflection, and meaning making during a highly stressful time. Independent of the pandemic, many students have remarked this class enhanced their sense of wellbeing. For some students, the class gave them permission to dedicate time and energy to artistic expression, something they rarely experience because of their responsibilities as full-time working or parenting students. In addition, the gallery project provides a structured opportunity for students to engage with artistic expression alongside their academic coursework.
In addition to building resiliency that can counter burnout in future clinicians, integrating art into science education has implications for clinical practice and patient care. Nursing students have reported that the art reflections help them connect scientific content to lived experiences and professional identity. Like EID’s use of cover art to link disease knowledge with human experiences (4), art-based assignments help bridge the scientific and human dimensions of microbiology. This approach encourages students to think more empathetically about the societal effect of infectious diseases.
For example, Breedlove’s essay Living People Who Breathe and Feel and Suffer and Love explained how Edvard Munch’s Inheritance recognizes the lived, emotional, and human reality of congenital syphilis and its intergenerational consequences (49). Nursing students have noted the practical relevance of similar EID covers such as Don’t speak! (6;) (Appendix 2). Paulina Siniatkina’s artwork is shared in our tuberculosis unit to complement the scientific content that explains what happens biologically; her painting, along with other artistic components, enables students understanding of the emotional and psychological consequences of infection. Similarly, in the HIV unit, supplementing scientific explanations of transmission with visual narratives on HIV-related stigma in women of color (50) increases awareness and reflection on how assumptions and biases influence patient interactions.
In conclusion, implementing the described curriculum enhances student learning and retention while simultaneously providing students with permission to be creative in meaningful and enriching ways. Integrating art into microbiological education has affected how my students interpret and approach the content but has also personally shifted how I see my background and expertise reflected in art, nature, and my surroundings. I encourage educators to consider how they can weave such approaches into their teaching practice and challenge scientists, public health professionals, artists, and others to reflect on how art can deepen understanding, engagement, and connection across disciplines.
Dr. Iverson-Cabral is an associate teaching profession at the University of Washington, Bothell, Washington, USA. Her work focuses on developing innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to microbiology education.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the students whose engagement with this course has made this class so rewarding; special thanks to those who gave written permission to share their work.
Additional examples can be found on the course Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/art_of_infectious_disease.
ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com) was used as an editorial tool to improve clarity and conciseness; however, all ideas and original writing are the author’s own.
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Figures
Suggested citation for this article: Iverson-Cabral SL. Using cover art from Emerging Infectious Diseases to inspire microbiological education. Emerg Infect Dis. 2026 Dec [date cited]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3212.260532
Original Publication Date: November 05, 2026
1This curriculum was presented, in part, at the National Science Teaching Association meeting; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; March 22–25, 2023.
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Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:
Stefanie L. Iverson-Cabral, School of Nursing and Health Studies, Box 358532, 17927 113th Ave North East, Bothell, WA 98011-7909, USA
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