Sonia Guarnerio

Available to hire

I am a scientific illustrator and graphic designer with a strong background in biotechnology.

About

I am a scientific illustrator and graphic designer with a strong background in biotechnology. My passion for communicating science began during my PhD in cancer biology, where I discovered the power of visuals to make complex research accessible and engaging. Before and alongside my academic journey, I gained experience as a graphic designer in various fields, which helped me develop a versatile and creative approach to visual communication.

Now, with a PhD and postdoctoral experience, I specialise in helping scientists and research teams enhance the impact and outreach of their work through clear, accurate, and visually compelling illustrations and design.

  • Joined October 2025

Languages

  • EnglishFluent
  • ItalianFluent
  • Spanish; CastilianIntermediate

Industry experience

  • Media & Entertainment
  • Healthcare
  • Life Sciences
  • Education
  • Professional Services
  • Software & Internet
  • Other

More experts in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Projects · 6

Coral species taxonomy poster

Taxonomy poster Coral species poster made with mixed media (illustrations in watercolour + digital layout) Project for a PhD student in Saudi Arabia. illustrator graphicdesigner posterdesign

  • Illustrator
Dr Vesicles comic

Dr Vesicles is a personal project I worked for my PhD thesis. This comic was born during the pandemic break from the research lab. I knew I wanted to introduce a part of outreach engagement in my thesis. So I created Dr Vesicles, a comic page interpretation explaining the rationale of my project. Below some additional figures: one illustrating the time in the lab and the other one was introduced at the end of the thesis.

  • Comic Illustrator
Branding UKEV forum 2024

I have been working with the UK Society for Extracellular Vesicles since 2021 as creative director, designing branding for the annual forum. I had the pleasure of organising the conference in the centre of Newcastle in 2024. I took on all aspects of organising a conference and was good fun. As for the previous years I created the logo, social media content, flyers and programs.

  • Brand Designer
  • Illustrator
  • Social Media Manager
EVCNA editorial scientific cover

Editorial illustration for the cover of the Extracellular vesicles and circulating nucleic acids journal. In this issue, the journal featured a review about the role in AI in breast cancer liquid biopsies and extracellular vesicles. The illustration represents an extracellular vesicle turned into an AI interface inquired by two analytical scientists.

  • Illustrator
Environmental change and helminths

This is a commissioned schematic for a PhD project at Penn State, working on the impact of environmental changes (temperature and humidity) in the host-microorganisms relationship in rabbits. The illustration was published as part of the PhD thesis.

  • Illustrator
STEM engagement poster

Poster created for GCSE and A-level students to inspire and inform their future STEM careers when visiting Sheffield Hallam University. The poster series was extended to cover other STEM fields, including genetics, cellular biology and ecology and was in collaborations with other scientific illustrators.

  • Illustrator

Work experience· 4 roles

Scientist · ESP Diagnostics LimitedJun 2024 – Mar 2025 · 10 mos

Development of extracellular vesicle-based diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases. Protocol optimisations and implementation of SOPs. Designing experiments for the analytical validation of the diagnostic methods towards product development. Contributing to marketing strategies by successfully promoting the company through social media.

Research Associate · Newcastle UniversityOct 2023 – May 2024 · 8 mos

Post-doc position exploring molecular mechanisms of rare muscular dystrophies. Translational project aiming to advance the healthcare options for patients. Acquired experience in grant writing and successfully submitted three research grants.

Creative Director · UKEV SocietyAug 2021 – Dec 2024 · 3 yrs 5 mos

Graphic design and media content designer for the annual society conference. In 2024, I have been appointed to organise the annual conference in Newcastle, which gave me experience in managing all aspects of conference organisation, including logistics, sponsorships, marketing through social media content, and planning the conference program.

Graphic Designer and Illustrator · Self-EmployedJan 2014 – Present · 12 yrs 11 mos

Education

PhD in Cancer Biology · Sheffield Hallam University2019 – 2023
Master’s in Medical Biotechnology · Milano-Bicocca University2017 – 2019
Bachelor’s in Biology · Milano-Bicocca University2014 – 2017

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