Wellcome Photography Prize Captures Topics In Science And Health

The Wellcome Photography Prize announced their shortlist of 25 photos that highlight topics in health and science. Besides artistically captured photographs that show human life around the world, the competition also includes a biomedical imaging category that features stunning photographs taken with high-tech scientific equipment.
'Cholesterol in the liver', 2022 By Steve Gschmeissner Courtesy of Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
This photography competition, which was last held in 2021, is organised by Wellcome, a charitable foundation that supports health research around the world. As a charity, Wellcome focuses on big topics like global health, mental health and the link between climate and health. These themes are reflected in the competition's submissions, which capture how issues that sometimes feel overly complex and abstract impact real people in their daily life.
For example, in 'A Dream to Cure Water', Ciril Jazbec photographed a man in the Andes next to a small stream. The indigenous community that lives in this area of Peru has had to rely on purifying glacial runoff water with basic tools. It illustrates the impact that climate change has on people living in this region where 40% of glaciers have disappeared in the last half century.
'Dream to cure water', 2022 By Ciril Jazbec Courtesy of Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
Another shortlisted photo, by Pyaephyo Thetpaing, almost looks like a Renaissance painting, but it is an image of Ko Tun, a craftsman in Myanmar, who paints images and carves pots using his left foot after having lost his three other limbs. In a description of his photo, Thetpaing says 'Ko Tun's resilience is not just physical – it is mental and emotional. His story speaks to the importance of purpose and adaptability in overcoming life's challenges. By channelling his energy into his craft, he has found a way to heal, thrive, and inspire others.'
Resilience artist', 2024 By Pyae Phyo Thet Paing Courtesy of Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
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This year's Wellcome Photography Prize is also the first year that the competition includes biomedical images. These images, often created with high tech scientific equipment, were originally part of the Wellcome Image Awards, but when the competition was rebranded as the Wellcome Photography Prize in 2019 this category was originally left out.
Although there are other competitions that feature biomedical and scientific images, it's good to see this category back at the Wellcome award, because it shows such a unique view of the world through scientists' eyes. The images in this category often start out as research. Biologists have access to high-resolution microscopes and other tools that make minuscule details of cells or tissues visible. These images reveal new knowledge of the world, but they're often also very pretty.
At the top of this article is an image of cholesterol in the liver, captured by Steve Gschmeissner using scanning electron microscopy. It captures the very tiny cholesterol crystals that can damage blood vessels or lead to strokes and heart attacks. Seeing the spikes in the image with such clarity really brings home the damage cholesterol can do.
Another photo in this category (shown below) was made by researchers in Brazil who study the parasite that causes Chagas disease. This tropical disease, which is transferred by food or insects that contain the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, can cause a range of health problems. It's particularly prevalent in low-income populations in the Americas, and despite its devastating effects it has not been studied as much as some other diseases. Ingrid Augusto, Kildare Rocha de Miranda and Vânia da Silva Vieira are hoping to change that with their research into the disease. This image, which they took as part of their research, shows the inner structure of the parasite.
'Ice and Fire Chronics: The Chagas Disease Invader', 2020 By Ingrid Augusto, Kildare Rocha de ... More Miranda and Vania da Silva Vieira Courtesy of Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
These and other shortlisted competition photos will be on display at the Francis Crick Institute in London, UK, from July 17th to October 18th. One the day before the exhibit opens, the winners in each category will be announced at an awards ceremony.
Besides the 25 Wellcome Photography prize finalists, this exhibit will also include a project by young people in Khayelitsha, South Africa. In 'Things We Left Unseen', they document daily life and issues around topics such as mental health or water access in their area of Cape Town, which has been significantly underserved compared to the rest of the city.

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