# I Am CDC - Alissa Eckert

I started at CDC in 2006, right out of graduate school. I work as a medical illustrator in the Division of Communication Services. As a biomedical artist in school, I was focused on impacting public health, so I couldn’t think of anywhere else I wanted to work except CDC, but if I wasn’t here, I might be at an animation studio in California or nestled in my home studio, painting and drawing pet portraits. At CDC, I help educate the public, as well as clinicians and responders. I create a variety of communication and training materials, including 2D and 3D illustrations, animations, and 3D models. A project I really loved working on was the creation of a prosthetic arm. CDC staff needed a more hands on method of teaching a swabbing technique for Anthrax testing in other countries. So I thought, “What’s better than lifelike arms? As lifelike as possible!” I used theater makeup to create scabs and pustules on a coworker’s arm and then made a mold and cast. I airbrushed the model and painted it with blisters, blood, and puss. It was great! It was like working on the set of a sci-fi movie! I love getting up every day not knowing what disease I’ll be working on next, but knowing I can impact people’s health, safety, and security. It’s amazing to see your artwork reaching so many people and actually making a difference. I’m Alissa Eckert and I AM CDC!

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- Kind: Short
- Year: 2019
- Runtime: 1 min
- By: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Archive: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I_Am_CDC_-_Alissa_Eckert.webm)
- Licence or status: Public domain (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/commons/83164224?play=1)