Dalena Huynh
Crossing barriers through visual communication
Dalena Huynh
She completed her undergraduate studies at the College of Charleston in 2016, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Studio Art. Beyond her active involvement in promoting campus diversity and volunteering, she completed an internship at the Medical University of South Carolina, creating medical illustrations for an immunotherapy cancer research lab.
She then spent over six years as the Communications and Design Coordinator at the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance. In this role, she spearheaded graphic design, digital marketing, and website management initiatives, significantly expanding the non-profit’s outreach. Driven by a personal connection to cancer within her family, she channeled these experiences into crafting clear, accessible educational resources for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
In May 2023, she earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Illinois Chicago, where she served as a BVIS Lab Graduate Assistant and held leadership roles within both the Student Association of Medical Artists (SAMA) and the Graduate Student Council.
Today, she is an award-winning medical illustrator who collaborates with leading organizations, including Bayer, Encyclopædia Britannica, Integrate Ed, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Notably, her contributions to Body Scientific International’s Anatomy – An Overview of the Human Body earned two honors at the 2026 Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) Annual Conference: the Award of Excellence in Illustrated Text and the Social Impact Award.
Dalena Huynh 