David A. Rini, MFA, CMI, FAMI
Professor
Art as Applied to Medicine
Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Director, MBI Graduate Program
David Rini is a dedicated educator and mentor. In 2020, he was selected by members of the Graduate Student Association to receive the Graduate Student Teaching Award. In 2024, he was selected by his peers to be the 43rd Recipient of the Professors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching in Biomedical Sciences, one of Johns Hopkins' top teaching honors.
He earned his Master of Fine Arts in Medical and Scientific Illustration from the University of Michigan in 1989. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins in 1993, David established and directed the Department of Neurosurgical Illustration at the Mayfield Neurological Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. During his tenure there, he served as Art Director and Co-Illustrator for the award-winning Atlas of Operative Microneurosurgery, Volume 1 and was co-illustrator on Volume II.
David’s work emphasizes the artful integration of traditional artistic techniques with modern technology. His creative process often combines traditional media with advanced 2D and 3D computer assets produced using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, After Effects, ZBrush, and Cinema 4D.
...
A leader in his field, David is past Chair of the Board of Governors of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI). He is currently the Chair of the Council on Graduate Education. A steering committee comprised of the directors of all five medical illustration graduate programs in North America. He was inducted as a Fellow of the AMI in 2001. He has served two terms on the Board of Trustees of the Vesalius Trust Foundation. His artwork has been featured in over 150 books and publications and is on permanent exhibit at institutions such as the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the Science Museum of Virginia, and the Cincinnati Zoo.
David has received numerous accolades for his work from the AMI, including the Orville Parks Best of Show, the Muriel McLatchie Miller Fine Art Award, and multiple Awards of Excellence and Certificates of Merit for his medical illustrations.
In 2006, David was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to Chile, where he relocated with his family for several months to help establish South America’s first educational program in Medical and Scientific Illustration. In 2011, he conducted a two-week lecture and workshop series in Sendai City and Nagoya, Japan.
In addition to his medical and biological illustration, David is an accomplished portrait artist. His highly detailed portraits are in public and private collections, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Johns Hopkins University.
Read More
Education
1989
MFA, Medical and Scientific Illustration
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
1987
BS, Biology
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
Board Certification
1993 - present
Certified Medical Illustrator
Board of Certification of Medical Illustrators
Work Experience
2019 - present
2018 - present
2003 - 2018
1996 - 2003
1993 - 1996
Director, Graduate Program
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Instructor
Department of Art as Applied to Medicine
Cellular and Molecular Medicine
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
1990 - 1993
Founder & Director
Department of Neurosurgical Illustration, Mayfield Neurological Institute
and University of Cincinnati Department of Neurosurgery, Cincinnati, OH
1989
Medical Illustrator
Department of Biomedical Communications, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
1988
Scientific Illustrator
Museum of Natural History, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Projects
Surgical Treatment of an Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm
Atlas of Operative Microneurosurgery, WB Saunders Co. 1994, Graphite Pencil.
Anatomy of the Spinal Cord
Illustrators of the Century
Hopkins Medicine Magazine, Centennial Feature
Skills & Expertise
Medical Illustration
Surgical illustration
Neurosurgery
Neuroanatomy
Techniques
Continous Tone
Color
Digital illustration
Journal publication
Illustration
Digital 3D
Storyboarding
Modeling
Animation
Courses
Professional Actvities
Associations
Institutional Administrative Appointments:
- 1995 – 1999 Medical School Council Department Representative – Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- 1993 – Present Admissions Committee – Department of Art as Applied to Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- 1999 – 2004 Committee on Admissions – Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Association of Medical Illustrators:
- 1991 – Present Professional Member
- 2001 – Present Accreditation Review Committee for the Medical Illustrator ARC-MI, in association with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs
- 1995 – 1999 Member of the Board of Governors
- 1996 – 1997 Vice Chair: Board of Governors
- 1996 – 1999 Member – Executive Committee
- 1996 – 1999 Member – Finance Committee
- 1997 – 1998 Chair – Board of Governors
- 1997 – 1998 Chair – Executive Committee
- 1998 – 1999 Member – AMI Nominating Committee
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals:
Oshiro, E. M., D. A. Rini, and R. J. Tamargo. Contralateral approaches to bilateral cerebral aneurysms: A microsurgical anatomic study. Journal of Neurosurgery. 87: 163-169 and cover, 1997.
Prakash Sampath, M. D., David Rini, M.F.A., and Donlin M. Long, M.D., Ph.D. Microanatomical variations in the cerebellopontine angle associated with vestibular schwannomas: A retrospective study of 1006 consecutive cases. Journal of Neurosurgery. 92: 70 -78, 1998
Sampath, P., D. A. Rini, and D. M. Long. Microanatomical variations in the cerebellopontine angle associated with vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas) Neurosurgery Focus 5: 1 -7, 1998.
Bluhm, D. J., Young, H. K., Hong, H., Rini, D. A., Pedersen, P.L. ATP synthase motor components: Proposal and animation of two dynamic models for stator function. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 287: 801 – 807, 2001.
Young, H.K., Smith, B.L, Wang,Y., Pomper, M.G., Rini, D.A., Torbenson, M.S., Pedersen, P.L. Advanced Cancers: Eradication in all Cases Using 3-Bromopyruvate Therapy to Deplete ATP. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 324: 268 – 274, 2004.
Dasgupta1, S., Yung R., Westral, W.H., Rini D.A., Brandes J., and Sidransky D.1. Following Mitochondrial Footprints Through a Long Mucosal Path to Lung Cancer. Submitted New Eng J of Med 2008
Books:
Chen. “Therapeutic Uteroscopy,” In F.F. Marshall, Textbook of Operative Urology. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1991.
Campbell, M.F., Campbell’s Urology. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1992.
Agur, A., Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy. Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. 1999
Klag, M.J., Johns Hopkins Family Health Book.. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Patrick C. Walsh, M.D. and Janet Farrar Worthington, Dr. Patrick Walsh’s Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer. New York: Warner Books, 2001
Tew, J. T. Jr., and H.R. van Loveren, Atlas of Operative Microneurosurgery: Vol. I. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1994.
Presentations
My Fulbright Experience; Establishing a Medical Illustration Program in Santiago, Chile, Keynote Speaker, University of Toronto Alumni Dinner, Toronto, Canada, April, 2008.
Seeing the World: An Artist’s Guide to Observation. Invited Speaker, Grand Rounds, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, March 2007
Graphite drawing technique for neurosurgical illustration. A demonstration and discussion, World Congress on Biomedical Communications, Orlando, Florida, August, 1994.
The airbrush dust technique. Lecture and demonstration. Association of Medical Illustrators Annual Meeting, Monterey, California, July, 2001.
Exploring Medical Illustration Field Study. Guest Lecturer, Greater Richmond Health Education Center, Richmond, Virginia. JHU site visit, lecture, and technique demonstration for participating Richmond area high school students. July, 1999 and August 2000.
The airbrush dust technique. Medical College of Georgia and Johns Hopkins Student Exchange, Augusta, Georgia, April, 1999.
Copyright regulation and contract negotiation. One day program for biological illustration students from Beaver College at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Art as Applied to Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, November, 1997.
The governance structure of the Association of Medical Illustrators. Association of Medical Illustrators Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada , July, 1998.
The application of computer aided instruction for patient education. Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Evening Program, November, 1997.
A technique for continuous tone using airbrush and drafting pencils. Medical College of Georgia and Johns Hopkins Student Exchange, Augusta, Georgia, April, 1997.
Medical and biological Illustration. Mentor Shore School Student Art Show and Lecture, Mentor, Ohio, April, 1997.
A tribute to Max Brödel: The father of American medical illustration. Computerized twelve-projector multimedia slide presentation, Association of Medical Illustrators Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona, August, 1995.
Understanding medical diagnostic imaging. Association of Midwest Medical Illustrators Regional Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, November, 1994.
Recognition
Johns Hopkins Graduate Student Association (GSA)
2020 Recipient of the Graduate Student Teaching Award. Established in 1986 by the GSA this award recognizes excellence in teaching at the graduate level.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
43rd Recipient of the Professors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching in Biomedical Sciences (2024), which recognizes a faculty member whose investment in teaching students is of the highest order.
The U.S. Fulbright Commission
2005 Received a Fulbright Scholar Award to Chile. Traveled to Santiago, Chile for a six month sabbatical to help establish South America’s first graduate program in Medical and Scientific Illustration.
The Association of Medical Illustrators
2001 Inducted as a Fellow of the Association of Medical Illustrators for outstanding volunteer contributions to the organization.
The Association of Medical Illustrators Annual Salon
- Award of Excellence – Medical Atlas, “Atlas of Operative Microneurosurgery, Vol. II”, W.B. Saunders Co., 2001 2001
- Muriel McLatchie -Miller Fine Art Award – Best of Show in Fine Art, “Portrait of Margaret” 2001
- Certificate of Merit – Multi-Media, “Body Probe” Science Museum of Virginia 1999
- Award of Excellence – Continuous Tone “A New Technique for Laparoscopic Suturing” 1995
- Certificate of Merit – Medical Clinical Text Operative Gynecology, Appleton & Lange Publishing Co. 1994
- Certificate of Merit – Continuous Tone “Pelvic Lymphadenectomy During Post-Cesarean Hysterectomy 1994
- Award of Excellence – Medical Atlas, “Atlas of Operative Microneurosurgery”, W.B. Saunders Co. 1994
- Certificate of Merit – Continuous Tone “Treatment of an Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm” 1990
- First Place – Medical Continuous Tone, “Dissection and Surgical Treatment of an Acoustic Neuroma” 1990
- Orville Parkes – Student Best of Show, “Dissection and Surgical Treatment of an Acoustic Neuroma” 1990
- Honorable Mention – Medical Line (pen & ink) “Aortic Valve Replacement”
Mentor, Ohio Board of Education and Mentor High School
Inducted into the Mentor High School Hall of Distinguished Alumni
Mentor High School and the Mentor Board of Education, Mentor, Ohio, 1997.
Regional Meeting Salon, Richmond, Virginia
Certificate of Merit – Continuous Tone
“Exposure and Treatment of a Colloid Cyst of the Third Ventricle,” 1990.
University of Michigan Annual Medical and Biological Student Scholarship
Gerald P. Hodge Award for Best Continuous Tone
Illustration Dissection and Surgical Treatment of an Acoustic Neuroma,” 1989.
Bowling Green State University Art Competition
First Place – Painting, “Quiet Country”
Second Place – Drawing, “Everything in its Place,” 1987.
News
Medical Illustration Students Participate in Coating Ceremony 2018
Our second year graduate students from the Class of 2019 participated in the white coat ceremony organized by the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine on August 30, 2018. All six students successfully completed their first year...
David Rini delivers talk “Medical Illustration: Art in the Service of Science”
Associate Professor David Rini recently traveled to South America as an invited speaker at the Center for Inter American Studies in Cuenca, Ecuador. David addressed a mixed crowd of nearly 200 physicians, professional artists, faculty members and medical and art students from local universities and the surrounding area. On March 12, David gave a comprehensive overview of the field of medical illustration with many examples of his illustrations and animations and also the work of fellow artists and students.
Medical Illustration Students Participate in Coating Ceremony 2017
Our second year graduate students from the Class of 2018 participated in the white coat ceremony organized by the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. All six students successfully completed their first year coursework and have...