Team Science Portraits | University of Miami Medicine
Portraits of Innovation: Behind the Lens at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
For over six years, I’ve had the privilege of photographing editorial portraits for the University of Miami’s Medicine magazine and research hospital—an ongoing collaboration that has taken me inside some of the most advanced labs and introduced me to the brilliant minds driving medical innovation. My latest assignment focused on capturing portraits of researchers whose groundbreaking work is shaping the future of healthcare.
One such researcher is Daniel Pelaez, Ph.D., whose work on regenerative therapies for vision restoration is nothing short of visionary. I photographed Dr. Pelaez in his lab on the medical campus, where he and his team are conducting pioneering research using frog and human eye tissue. One of the most visually intriguing elements of the shoot was incorporating his slides—yes, those were frog eyes under the microscope!—as a nod to the meticulous, microscopic scale at which this work happens.
To truly capture Dr. Pelaez in his element, I photographed him through a wall of interior windows, allowing me to frame him in context with the microscopes, tools, and glowing monitors of his lab. We used colored gels on our lights to add visual interest and subtly enhance the drama of the space. The result was a portrait that felt both intimate and expansive—one that nods to the precision of the science and the boldness of the vision driving it.
Daniel Pelaez, Ph.D. ’11, research associate professor of ophthalmology and scientific director of the Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Vision Research Center at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
The second shoot featured Dr. Sanoj Punnen and Dr. Radka Stoyanova, whose collaborative research is changing the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and monitored. Their work focuses on using advanced MRI technology and artificial intelligence to improve accuracy and reduce unnecessary biopsies—offering a clearer, more personalized view of prostate cancer for patients.
I wanted to maintain the visual continuity from the first shoot, so I leaned into the same cinematic approach with bold, geled lighting. Shooting in a clinical environment can sometimes feel sterile, but adding color helped inject some energy and tension into the space—highlighting not only the researchers themselves but the cutting-edge nature of their tools and data.
Dr. Punnen and Dr. Stoyanova were photographed with dynamic displays of imaging data behind them, a nod to the central role technology plays in their work. By shaping the light and carefully composing the environment, I aimed to make portraits that felt as forward-thinking and precise as the science they represent.
Dr. Sanoj Punnen and Dr. Radka Stoyanova using advanced MRI technology and artificial intelligence to diagnose and monitor prostate cancer.
The third portrait session spotlighted Dr. Camillo Ricordi, professor of surgery and medicine and chief of the Division of Cellular Transplantation at the Miller School’s Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and Norma Kenyon, Ph.D., professor of surgery, vice provost for innovation and chief innovation officer for the Miller School. They and their team are working on a deceptively simple-sounding concept with massive implications: a hydrogel designed to shield transplanted cells from immune system attacks. This protective barrier could be a game-changer for patients with diabetes or neurodegenerative conditions who rely on cell-based therapies.
To keep a consistent visual tone with the previous shoots, I photographed the team in their lab using geled lighting to add drama and cohesion. Surrounded by petri dishes, samples, and the instruments of their research, I aimed to create portraits that felt immersive and future-focused—reflecting both the complexity of their work and the hope it holds.
Norma Kenyon PH.D and Dr. Camillo Ricordi looking through the microscope at a hydrogel designed to shield transplanted cells from immune system attacks.