By Kate Lamy
When it came time to choose an article to illustrate for this issue, I was torn between several topics that were both intriguing and hit home on a personal level. I came across Nelly Papalambros’ article, “Sleep as a Public Health Issue”, and was interested in how the public health issue of sleep deprivation affects us on both an individual and biological level. While reading, I was surprised to find harrowing statistical evidence for how sleep deprivation affects us on a social and economic level as well. I have struggled with insomnia for most of my life, and as I’m sure my classmates would agree, being a graduate student does not help to diminish this problem. Therefore, I decided to illustrate a sleep-deprived woman with emphasis on what our sleep affects the most – the brain. This article gave me the opportunity to understand this important organ’s role in sleep, the effects of insomnia on our quality of life, and how this condition can dramatically affect society at large. Papalambros brings our attention to this public health issue, so that we may remedy other important public health concerns. Keeping public health in mind, a more informed audience may be the first step in curtailing sleep deprivation. With this valuable information, we can start leading healthier lives, one well-rested step at a time.
About the Artist
Kate Lamy
Kate Lamy is an artist from the Chicago area. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010. She is currently working on a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a program that brings together the communicative power of illustration and medicine. When she is not in class, doing research, or working on a project, you can usually find her sketching, reading fiction, or playing chess online.
You can see more of Kate’s work at her website (http://clamy2. people.uic.edu) or her blog (http://lamykate.wordpress.com).