Our Expertise:

Custom 3D Animation & Illustration

Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. is an award-winning creator of medical illustrations and medical animations in the U.S. and worldwide. Our Custom Services division has spent more than a decade creating custom 3D animations and illustrations for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and education markets.

We know that great storytelling is highly effective at engaging and informing people: healthcare professionals, patients, investors and more. We excel at collaborating with our clients to develop solutions that present complex ideas and procedures in visual ways that are easy to understand, accurate, and impactful.

Our Team

Our Process

Our Leadership

Co-founded in 1997 by Ronald L. Collins and Keith A. Pavlik, with a mission to help people by improving health literacy, Nucleus has grown to become the leading author, publisher, and licensor of medical illustrations and animations on the Internet. Nucleus works are seen by millions of people each month online, in print, and in broadcasting. In its twenty-year history, Nucleus has created over 25,000 illustrations and over 2,500 3D medical animations.

Ron Collins

Ron grew up in Tennessee near the Smoky Mountains where he still likes to fish, hike, and watch the leaves turn in autumn. His love of art led him to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Tennessee, while his desire for gainful employment led him to pursue a Master of Science degree in Medical Illustration from the Medical College of Georgia.

After graduation, Ron worked six years for an anatomy software company in Atlanta as the Director of Content Development. There, he gained knowledge in product development, management, and entrepreneurship, and made some lifelong friends, many of whom he still works with today.

In 1997, he co-founded Nucleus and began hiring the team that transformed the company into a leader in 3D medical animation. These days, his passion is growing the company’s YouTube channel, which makes a positive difference in the lives of millions of people worldwide with over 4 million subscribers and a billion views. He sees YouTube as the most powerful platform available for brands wanting their life-changing technology to reach a global audience.

When not working, Ron likes playing guitar, traveling, reading, and spending time with family.

Keith Pavlik

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Atlanta, GA, Keith has called the South home since 1970. He attended the University of Georgia where earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies (pre-med and art), then continued on to the Medical College of Georgia where he received his Master of Science degree in Medical Illustration.

Keith developed an entrepreneurial spirit early in life and started his first company soon after graduation from MCG. MedArt specialized in the creation of medical legal illustrations for use in personal injury cases. He went on to found HealthMedia Corp, creating medical illustrations for the pharmaceutical and medical device markets. In 1997, he co-founded Nucleus with partner and CEO, Ron Collins.

These days, Keith marvels not only at the impressive 25-year run of the company but also the everyday examples that affirm the Nucleus mission of increasing health literacy on a global scale. He is encouraged any time he reads a satisfied client increased their brand awareness or a viewer decided to adopt a healthier lifestyle because of a Nucleus illustration or animation.

Keith spends his days managing the marketing efforts for Nucleus, working to expand the reach and recognition of the Nucleus brand. In his off time, he enjoys exercising, painting, and spending time with his wife and two sons.

Mike Shambaugh

Mike was born in Florida but considers himself a native of Georgia, where he graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, with areas of specialization in Management, Software Development, and Database Normalization. Early in his career, Mike worked as a software developer for an Atlanta-based anatomy software company, where he met fellow like-minded co-worker Ron Collins. Years later they joined forces again when Ron co-founded Nucleus Medical Media with Keith Pavlik, and Mike came on board to build out the technical system that supports the company’s mission of improving health literacy.

Mike splits his time between managing Nucleus’s technology and its money, filling the role of interim Finance Manager. He drove the implementation of the “digital nervous system,” which provides a single source of authority for information supporting Nucleus’s business and delivery of its content. His current focus is on making Nucleus’s technical services more flexible and portable, reducing reliance on any single vendor while improving scalability – allowing Nucleus’s services to be simpler and more deeply integrated with partner companies.

Mike is a Shakespeare aficionado who, when not quoting the Bard or coding, can be found working on projects around the house and spending time with his family.

Awards

Award of Excellence
Communicator’s Awards
“Genital Herpes in Women”

Award of Distinction
Communicator’s Awards
“Drug Addiction: How Opioids like Fentanyl Work”

SIGGRAPH 2023 Conference
Electronic Theater Retrospective Celebration
“Nucleus Medical Media Celebrates 25 Years”

Platinum Winner
Viddy Awards
“How to Reverse an Opioid Overdose”, Non-Broadcast | YouTube/Vimeo | 620
Other — Healthcare

Gold Winner
Viddy Awards
“Understanding Sickle Cell Anemia”, Non-Broadcast | YouTube/Vimeo | 620
Other — Healthcare

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators Conference Salon
“UroAmplitude”, Advertising/Marketing

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators Conference Salon
“The Role of IL-1 alpha in Inflammation”, Didactic/Commercial

Award of Excellence
Annual Communicator Award
“Immunization: How Vaccines Work”, Award of Excellence – Animation

Award of Excellence
Videographer Awards
“How COVID-19 Effects the Body”, Video Production – Animation

Award of Excellence
Annual Communicator Award
“Decoding Cancer Immunology: Hunting Hidden Tumors”, Video Production – Animation

Silver Award
Telly Awards
“Tackling Chronic Liver Disease- CRV431 Mechanism of Action”, Non-Broadcast – Pharmaceuticals

Gold Award
Davey Awards
“Decoding Cancer Immunology: Hunting Hidden Tumors”, Best Use of Animation for Online and Video

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators Conference Salon
“How COVID-19 Affects the Body”, Didactic/Non-Commercial

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators Conference Salon
“Decoding Cancer Immunology: Hunting Hidden Tumors”, Didactic/Non-Commercial

Bronze Award
Digital Health Awards
“Controlled IL-12 Expression- Monotherapy”, Media/Publishing

Award of Excellence
Videographer Awards
“Anabasum: Mechanism of Action”, Video Production – Animation

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators Conference Salon
“Enabling Delivery of Life Changing Medicines”, Didactic/Commercial

Award of Excellence
Communicator Awards
“Larazotide Acetate (INN-202): Mechanism of Action”, Animation

Bronze Award
Telly Awards
“Introduction to Delos Therapy”, Health and Wellness

Gold Award
Gold Creator Award
Reaching 1,000,000 subscribers on YouTube
Youtube Achievement

Gold Award
Aurora Awards
“CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing for Cystic Fibrosis”

Award of Excellence
AMI Conference
“Anabasum: Mechanism of Action”

Award of Excellence
Videographer Awards
“ARTAS Patient Education”

Silver Award
Digital Health Awards
“Screening for Colorectal Cancer”

Silver Award
Telly Awards
“CRISPR: Gene Editing and Beyond”

Award of Excellence
Videographer Awards
“Roche/Genentech Smart Device”

Certificate of Merit
AMI Annual Conference
“Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing”

Bronze Award
Digital Health Awards
“How to Give Yourself an Anticoagulant Shot”

Honoree for Science and Education Category
21st Annual Webby Awards
“Innate Lymphoid Cells”

Award of Merit
Healthcare Advertising Awards
“The HIPEC Procedure” with Sanjoy Saha, M.D., LewisGale Regional Health System

Merit Award
Mobile Digital Health Resources
Digital Health Awards
Category: Mobile Application for Patient Communications
“iHeart Touch” iOS app

Merit Award
Digital Health Awards
“Symptoms of Sudden Cardiac Arrest”, created with Cedars-Sinai Health System

Bronze award
Best Digital Campaign (over 500 beds)
HMN Ad Awards
“Robotic Bariatric Surgery” with Dr. Mark Colquitt, Covenant Health

Silver Award
LDL and HDL Cholesterol (Good and Bad Cholesterol)
National Health Information Award
“Injecting Insulin Using a Syringe”

Award of Excellence
Association of Medical Illustrators Salon
“Innate Lymphoid Cells”

Award of Excellence
Association of Medical Illustrators Salon
“Acton Topical Delivery System”

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators Salon
“Eukaryotic Cell Organelles”

Platinum Award
Best Rich Media On a Corporate Vendor/Agency Site
eHealthcare Leadership Award
Nucleus Animation Library website

Gold Award
Best Rich Media On a Consumer Disease-Focused Website
eHealthcare Leadership Award
Health Journey Support website

Gold Award
Davey Award
“Acton Topical Delivery”

Silver Award
Davey Award
“Tumor Immunology”

Platinum Award
Aurora Award
“Eukaryotic Cell Organelles”

2015

Silver Award of Distinction
Communicator Awards
Category: Film/Video: Health and Wellness
“Osteoporosis”

Silver Award of Distinction
Communicator Awards
Category: Film/Video: Health and Wellness
“Brain and Mental Health”

Outstanding Achievement Award
Interactive Media Awards
Category: Healthcare
“Health Journey Support” website

Outstanding Achievement Award
Interactive Media Awards
Category: Education
“Health Journey Support” website

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators
Category: Didactic/Instructional – Non-Commercial
“Active Transport”

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators
Category: Advertising and Marketing/Promotional
“OrthoSensor”

Platinum Award
eHealthcare Leadership Awards
Category: Best Rich Media, Corporate Vendor/Agency Site
“Nucleus Animation Library” website

Gold Award
eHealthcare Leadership Awards
Category: Best Rich Media, Consumer Disease-Focused Site
“Health Journey Support” website

Silver Award
W3
Category: General Website – Health
“Health Journey Support” website

Silver Telly Award
Custom Animated Patient Education
Category: Film/Video: Non-Broadcast Productions – Health and Wellness
“Mitral Valve Prolapse”

Bronze Telly Award
Content Marketing for Healthcare
Category: Online Video: Branded Content – Business-to-Business
“Breaking Down the Silo”

Bronze Telly Award
Category: Online Video: Education
“HIV/AIDS“

Featured, PharmaVOICE magazine
Innovator Issue, Apr 2015.
Category: Innovative Website/App
“Health Journey Support” website

2014

Award of Excellence
RX Club
Category: Video, Animation
“BD Vystra Disposable Pen“

Award of Excellence
RX Club
Category: Video, Animation
“Mitral Valve Prolapse“

Bronze Award
PM360 Pharma Choice Awards
Category: Consumer Website
“Health Journey Support” Website

Silver Play Button
Google/YouTube
100,000 subscribers to the Nucleus Medical Media
YouTube channel

Award of Excellence
Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)
Category: Instructional Animation
“Plasmajet“

Award of Excellence
Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)
Category: Marketing and Promotional Animation
“BD Vystra Disposable Pen”

Award of Merit
Association of MedicalIllustrators (AMI)
Category: Instructional Animation
“Robotic Myomectomy”

Award of Merit
Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)
Category: Marketing and Promotional Animation
“Mitral Valve Prolapse”

2013

Award of Merit – AMI.
Anatomy of the Heart
Category: Instructional Animation

Silver Award – MM&M. iHeart Touch App
Category: Best Medical Digital Initiative for Consumers

Finalist – International Science & Engineering Visualization
Challenge. 2013. National Science Foundation.
iHeart Touch App
Category: Games and Apps

2012

Award of Excellence – AMI
STAR Ankle System
Category: Animation

Award of Merit – AMI
iStent iPad App
Category: New Media

Member’s Choice Award – AMI
Fertilization
Category: Animation/New Media

Finalist, SIGGRAPH – ACM SIGGRAPH
Fertilization

2011

Award of Excellence – International Academy of Visual Arts.
Myringotomy
Category: Communicator Award

Award of Excellence – AMI
Labor and Birth
Category: Instructional Animation

Award of Merit – AMI
Myringotomy
Category: Instructional Animation

2010

Award of Merit – AMI
Colon Resection
Category: Instructional Animation

Award of Merit – AMI
Ovulation
Category: Instructional Animation

Sci-An Award – International Scientific Animation Awards and Forum
Ovulation
Category: Bio Med

Finalist, SIGGRAPH – ACM SIGGRAPH
Ovulation

Finalist, Medical Marketing & Media Award – MM&M
PrenatePERL
Category: Best Healthcare Professional Media Brand

2009

Sci-An Award – International Scientific Animation Awards and Forum
Birth and Complications
Category: Physical Science

Finalist, SIGGRAPH – ACM SIGGRAPH
Atherosclerosis