Journal Cover Illustration for Cancer Research: Ella Maru Studio at AACR 2026
We are Going to AACR for the First Time – Come Find Us in San Diego
After years of creating scientific illustrations and journal covers for cancer researchers around the world, we are finally making it to AACR. This April 19 – 22 in San Diego, Ella Maru Studio will be at the AACR Annual Meeting expo for the first time at Booth #3639 and we are excited about it!
If you are a cancer researcher, oncologist, or science communicator attending the conference, come find us. If you have a paper in review, a grant proposal that needs strong visuals, or you have simply been curious what the process of commissioning a scientific illustration actually looks like – stop by.
We will also have tote bags, stickers, and keychains at the booth.
Scientific Illustration and Medical Art for Cancer Research
We have spent the last several years producing journal covers, medical illustrations, scientific figures, graphical abstracts, and animations for researchers publishing in Nature, Nature Cancer, Nature Medicine, Cell, Science Translational Medicine, Cancer Cell, Cancer Discovery and many other leading journals.
New Research: Do Journal Covers Actually Improve Citation Rates?
Our team conducted a systematic analysis of every article published across six volumes of Nature Cancer (2020 to present), comparing papers selected for the journal cover against papers that weren’t. We tracked three metrics: article accesses, Altmetric attention score, and citation count.
The results:
- Cover articles received 2× more citations
- 1.7× more article accesses (digital readership)
- 1.6× higher Altmetric scores (online attention and engagement)
This was not a short-term spike. The advantage held consistently across years. Early visibility – getting attention in the first weeks after publication in a high-impact journal turned out to be one of the strongest predictors of long-term citation count. For cancer research specifically, the effect was stronger than what’s been reported for broader journals like Nature, likely because medical and oncology research attracts unusually high public interest alongside academic attention.
The takeaway: a strong journal cover illustration isn’t just an aesthetic choice. For cancer research published in journals like Nature Cancer, Cancer Cell, or Cancer Discovery, it’s a measurable driver of reach and scholarly impact.
Our colleague Kate will be presenting the full findings at the conference. Come find her at Session PO.SHP01.02 — Science and Health Policy 2, April 21, 2:00–5:00 PM.
See you in San Diego!
What is more important in the design of the cover image? Eye catching design or scientific accuracy?
