Dr. Marisa Azad, M.D., Ph.D., paints a classic style of fine art on digital medium using Corel Painter™ software. Her artwork has been featured in galleries across Canada. Some of her clientele include Dr. Alan Greenspan, former chair of the United States Federal Reserve, as well as Michael G. DeGroote, a predominant Canadian businessman and philanthropist. She began painting at the age of 5, and since then she has won numerous art competitions.
Upon realising that traditional oil paints aggravated her asthma, Dr. Azad transitioned to digital oil painting. Although her artwork has been described as being highly detailed and photorealistic, none of her artwork employs Photoshop or photography in any form whatsoever; her artwork is created purely “from scratch” and the imagination (see below for an example of a painting she completed using traditional oils). Her most recent artwork explores the interplay between light and dark. Many of her paintings uncover themes related to the art of science and medicine–many of her paintings contain hidden messages. As the artist and lead researcher of the ground-breaking ARTICU Project, Dr. Azad aims to bring hope and peace to those suffering with loss and bereavement.
Dr. Azad completed a combined MD/PhD in Biochemistry and a residency in Internal Medicine at McMaster University in 2019. She completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Ottawa and followed up with an advanced fellowship in Orthopedic Infectious Diseases at the Mayo Clinic in 2022. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at The Ottawa Hospital, an Associate Clinical Scientist and a Mayo Clinic Research Collaborator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Her research focuses on exploiting the molecular and microbial mechanisms of periprosthetic joint infections to develop novel rapid diagnostics and therapeutics.
Through her research program, Dr. Azad will continue to develop new and exciting ways to bridge the gap between art and science.