Figure Zero Project

A student-run organization

What is the
Figure Zero Project?

We are a student-run organization committed to making science more engaging and accessible to the public.

Many journals do not have graphic designers for their covers and illustrations, yet visuals are what aid understanding and grab people's attention–for both scientists and non-scientists. We achieve our goal of elevating science by recruiting passionate artists and celebrating self-expression from human creativity in the rising age of AI.

While students benefit by building robust and meaningful portfolios, journals gain original artwork that highlights their research. Together, we build a diverse community connected by scientific journals' cover page–Figure Zero.

Testimonies

“
Working with the Figure Zero Project team on our Volume 10, Issue 2 was a fantastic experience and reminded us that research does not end when it is written; it finds new life when it is shared. With professionalism, care, and remarkable creative sensitivity, their team was a joy to work with and produced a beautiful original cover illustration that perfectly captured the spirit of our publication.
Their work honoured the care and curiosity behind our authors' research, strengthened the identity of our journal, and revealed what becomes possible when research and human creativity meet with purpose. We are grateful for a collaboration that not only enriched our journal but also affirmed the lasting power of artists and researchers coming together to make knowledge seen, felt, and remembered, and look forward to working with their artists again.
”
Canadian Journal of Undergraduate Research
“
Working with the Figure Zero Project team was such a positive and collaborative experience. Leslie, Yolanda, and their artists were thoughtful, creative, and incredibly receptive to our vision, and they brought the theme of our issue to life beautifully. We would be delighted to work with them again on a future issue.
”
University of Toronto Journal of Public Health

Our story

It started on a FaceTime call.

The Figure Zero Project was founded by two high school friends, Leslie and Yolanda. Honestly, they didn't have a lot in common. Yolanda can be quite calm; Leslie, not so much. Despite this, they shared a similar passion for catching sunrises at Woodbine Beach, crying at the Eras Tour, hwachae, almost peeing their pants laughing at photo booths, and, most importantly, art.

Although they eventually found themselves pursuing science, they found a way to bring art and scientific research together through the Figure Zero Project. Their journey began with illustrating journal covers, which soon grew to include a larger team that designs journal layouts and visual abstracts, and translates complex articles into words that anyone can understand. What started as an ordinary idea during a FaceTime call turned into a growing contribution to scientific communication. And they are only getting started.

Vision

To bridge the worlds of science and art by adding a brush of human creativity in scientific journals. We envision a future where young artists have opportunities to transform scientific research into visual stories that elevate academic communication.

Mission

At a time when AI-generated images are becoming increasingly common, our mission is to preserve human emotion through a collaboration between art and science. We provide students with opportunities to illustrate meaningful cover art while supporting journals that lack design resources. We strive to build a community where art and science can enhance each other, and students can continue their passions in interdisciplinary fields.

Our team

Co-presidents

Leslie Gao
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) · Queen's University
Leslie Gao is currently studying health sciences at Queen's University. You can spot him running events as a Health Sci First Year Rep, tutoring students aged 9–16 years in Ontario, authoring the newest research papers about Alzheimer's disease, or in a tree. In his natural element. Not only did he publish his own paper in his first year, but he also really has an eye, or hand, for art. For instance, he creates art with adults with mixed cognitive abilities and made his own shirt for the Eras Tour! If you really get to know him, he's great at singing “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and making it sound like “Always” by Daniel Caesar. Peak music taste.
Yuheng (Yolanda) Huang
Bachelor of Science (Honours) · University of Toronto
Yolanda Huang is currently studying psychology and neuroscience at the University of Toronto. You can spot her having meaningful conversations with patients at a hospital, marketing for U of T clubs, coaching and choreographing routines for artistic swimmers, or café hopping to find the best matcha spot in Downtown TO. Not one café left unconquered. After publishing a business psychology paper in high school, she spent the summer of her first year interning in a bioinformatics lab at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, learning wet-lab experiments like western blot and dry-lab skills like DEG analysis. If you really get to know her, she's great at losing her phone then realizing she was holding it in her hand the whole time. Send help.

Artists

Catherine Zhang
Grace Xue
Queen's University, Health Sciences
Jasmine Dong
Queen's University, Health Sciences
Miranda Mi
University of Toronto, Master of Biotechnology

Science investigators

Beatrice Leahu
Queen's University, Health Sciences
Carol Lu
University of Toronto, Neuroscience
Charlotte Moo
University of Toronto Scarborough, Biochemistry, Psychology, and Environmental Science
Felice Zhang
Queen's University, Health Sciences
Yinghao Liu
University of Toronto, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology