Every year, creative grad students from across the disciplines submit compelling images of their research and scholarship to the Image of Research competition. To accompany each image submission, the creator writes a short paragraph explaining how the image relates to their wider academic work, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes.

We caught up with some of the award winners from the 2026 Image of Research competition to ask them more about their process. Enjoy this interview with Jaden Thompson, a graduate student in Veterinary Medicine and Honorable Mention winner in this year’s contest, and then view the video to hear Thompson read her award-winning submission, "The Beginning of Becoming".

Why did you enter Image of Research this year?

I entered Image of Research this year because I wanted to communicate my research in a way that was both scientifically meaningful and personally reflective. My work focuses on persistent breeding induced endometritis, a condition that can quietly interfere with a mare’s ability to establish and maintain pregnancy. While much of this research is centered on cytokine signaling, tissue remodeling, and gene expression, the broader significance lies in its impact on reproductive success and the potential for new life.

I also saw this as an opportunity to highlight an aspect of research that is often overlooked. Many people do not realize how important horses are in research, not only for what they allow us to study, but also for the time, patience, and trust they give throughout the process. Through this image, I wanted to recognize both the scientific importance of the work and the animals at the center of it. 

What was the process of coming up with your image?

The process of developing my image was highly personal and intentional. Throughout the breeding season, I took photographs of each mare and foal pair whose reproductive journey I had been involved in, from breeding management and reproductive monitoring through pregnancy and foaling. Because I had direct involvement in helping create each of these pregnancies, every mare and foal pair carried a unique significance for me.

This particular image stood out because it captured a quiet but powerful moment between mare and foal that reflects the maternal bond and the nurturing nature of the mare. I wanted the image to represent more than a single foaling outcome. It became a way to visually connect the scientific focus of my research with the living animals behind it, emphasizing that reproductive research is not only about pathology and mechanisms, but also about the relationships, care, and outcomes those processes shape.

What did you learn or take away from this experience?

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This experience reinforced the importance of thoughtful science communication. Research often becomes reduced to data points, figures, and technical terminology, but this competition challenged me to step back and consider how to communicate the significance of my work in a way that is accessible and meaningful to a broader audience.

It also reminded me that the value of this work extends beyond the laboratory and beyond the dataset. Following mares from breeding through pregnancy and then seeing the foals they carry into the world has given me a deeper appreciation for both the biological complexity of reproduction and the animals that make this research possible. This experience strengthened my ability to connect scientific inquiry with its real-world impact, which is something I hope to continue carrying forward in veterinary medicine.

Read Thompson's entry

Why? It is the question that first pushed me to study why some mares bring new life into the world, while others, given the same chance, never do. My research on persistent breeding-induced endometritis taught me that creation depends on a delicate balance inside the uterus where inflammation must rise, resolve, and open the door to possibility. When that balance falters, the chance for new life can slip away long before anyone knows something is wrong. I explore this hidden turning point by tracing cytokine patterns in uterine fluid, identifying early scarring in tissue, and mapping changes in gene expression that reveal when healing has drifted off course. These subtle internal signals can shape years of outcomes, deciding whether a foal will ever begin its journey. The image I chose reflects what is at stake. It captures the fragile threshold where life first moves toward becoming. This work has shaped my path as a veterinarian because it reminds me that safeguarding that beginning starts long before birth, in the quiet biology that determines whether new life can take its first step toward the world.

Visit the Image of Research website for more information about this celebration of graduate student research.  

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This interview was conducted by Brandon Stauffer, Videographer here at the Graduate College. Brandon came to the Graduate College with a background in journalism and is now working to showcase the impact of Higher Education at Illinois.