Insight

Sketchnoting: Making Complex Scientific Concepts More Accessible – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Ninad OakLinkedIn

Aug 1, 2025, 17:48

Sketchnoting: Making Complex Scientific Concepts More Accessible – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Ninad Oak, PhD, Lead Bioinformatics Research Scientist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has developed a unique method to make complex scientific concepts more accessible: sketchnoting.

By visually summarizing key points from research papers, seminars, and talks, Oak creates concise, engaging representations of scientific ideas.

This practice, which began during his PhD studies at Baylor College of Medicine, has become an integral part of how he processes and shares information.

‘If I’m just given blocks of text, it’s very difficult to synthesize that information,’ Oak explains, emphasizing the value of visual tools in scientific communication.

Oak first began sketchnoting during his PhD studies at Baylor College of Medicine, where he struggled to keep up with rapid presentations. Over time, he developed strategies to focus on figures and key points, refining his technique to capture the most important information effectively. Sharing his sketches on social media and at conferences, Oak’s work gained recognition for its clarity and accessibility.

Oak’s notes have gained recognition at conferences and lectures, including the Science of Childhood Cancer Series, where attendees appreciate their clarity and accessibility. Today, he applies his techniques to mentoring students through the High School Research Immersion Program at St. Jude. Encouraging students to use flowcharts and visual summaries, Oak helps them develop critical thinking skills and an appreciation for the creative aspects of science.

‘The more knowledge and concepts you can share, keeps the science growing,’ he says.

Beyond mentorship, Oak’s work in bioinformatics focuses on uncovering new insights into pediatric cancer predisposition. The extensive genomics datasets at St. Jude provide a foundation for identifying subtle signals that may have been overlooked in previous studies.

Oak is optimistic about the role of data science and artificial intelligence in advancing this field, noting that the institution’s commitment to these initiatives is promising for future discoveries.

‘As always, St. Jude is staying at the edge of innovation by putting its weight behind the AI revolution. Our rich datasets combined with powerful AI models have promise of improving the outcomes for cancer patients and I feel lucky to be a part of it.’ “

Proceed to the video attached to the post.

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