Shirley was obsessed with biology in high school and decided to pursue a degree in medicine. In 2017, she received a BSc in Comparative Physiology at University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM). 

Without any exposure to visual art as she grew up, Shirley’s creative side was awoken in the third year of her undergraduate studies when she used doodling skills to help understand complex scientific concepts. Upon realizing that art could be such a powerful tool in communicating science and learning about the field of medical illustration, she decided to pursue studying medical illustration.

Following graduation, Shirley spent two years refining her art skills via formal art training before her matriculation into the Johns Hopkins University graduate program in Medical and Biological Illustration at the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine. She hopes to use her visual storytelling skills to facilitate people’s interest in science, and to promote more effective communications between various science professions.

In her spare time, Shirley enjoys cooking, learning Japanese, and playing with her feline friend, Chickadee.