About

International Arts + Mind Lab

International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) is a multidisciplinary research-to-practice initiative accelerating the field of neuroaesthetics. IAM Lab is part of the Brain Sciences Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and brings together brain scientists and practitioners in architecture, music and art in a global effort to amplify human potential. IAM Lab is committed to shaping and growing the neuroaesthetics field through collaboration and research. By taking an outside-in approach to health, well-being and learning, IAM Lab advocates for impact-based thinking that will change the way we think today and enhance the way we live tomorrow.

IAM Lab

  • Sketchy Medicine

    Most people are familiar with the idea of learning styles – a theory that commonly breaks down knowledge acquisition into Visual, Auditory, Read/Write and Kinesthetic strengths (VARK) and combines them in a multi-modal fashion. Although somewhat controversial, this approach to teaching has infiltrated higher education across the world. Students capitalize on their self-proclaimed learning styles, […]

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  • The Wonder Inside Us All

     Julia Buntaine

    Julia Buntaine, founder of the SciArt Magazine and SciArt Center, studied neuroscience and sculpture at Hampshire College, received a post-baccalaureate certificate in Studio Art from Maryland Institute College of Art and an MFA of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts. Buntaine combines her fascination with neuroscience and art by creating visual works about […]

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  • IAM Lab releases Impact Thinking

    Everything is aesthetic. The environments in which we live and work, the sounds we hear, sights we see, and smells we encounter are the pathways through which we experience the world around us. And aesthetics is so much more than enjoying beautiful things. The uniquely human response to aesthetics constantly influences our mental and emotional […]

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  • WATCH: The Science of the Arts

     image of glass art

    How does the brain process sensory information? What gives humans the unique ability to create and respond to art? Can architecture effect healing, creativity and learning? These are questions at the heart of the Science of the Arts, a program hosted by the Brain Science Institute that brought together researchers and artists in a series […]

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  • IAM Lab Heads Overseas to Lead Arts and Brain Health Conference

     Susan on stage in China

    The International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) held its first overseas convening as part of the International Life Science Summer Summit in Hebei Province, China, earlier this month. Organized by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) with the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, the three-day convening focused on brain health from a variety […]

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  • A Great Day for Cognitive Science and Aesthetics

     Portrait of Steve Gross

    Steven Gross is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Department of Philosophy. He has been a regular participant of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology (SPP) and served as co-organizer of the 43rd annual meeting, as well as the organizer of the pre-conference workshop on cognitive science and aesthetics. The SPP is […]

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  • Sound Health: Music and the Mind

     sound health

    Sound Health: Music and the Mind is a collaboration of the National Institutes of Health and the Kennedy Center designed to elevate the science of music and its relationship to health. On June 2, a lively crowd of musicians, music lovers and music therapists gathered at the Kennedy Center to kick off a weekend of […]

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  • Event Recap: Intersection of Technology, the Arts and Science in Redwood City

    At International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), we’re focused on innovation at the intersection of the arts and neuroscience, and we know that innovation comes from bringing scientists and artists together to foster dialogue and share findings with a broader community. Last week, IAM Lab Executive Director Susan Magsamen joined a panel at Technology, […]

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  • Event Recap: Getting Beyond a Blind Date with Science

    On May 19, 2017, the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute hosted actor, director, and science advocate Alan Alda. Alan Alda learned the hard way the power of clear scientific communication and connection. While on a trip in remote Chile, he developed excruciating pain in his abdomen. Assuming it was his appendix, he was rushed to the […]

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  • Event Recap: Impact-Based Thinking for Neuroaesthetics

    Last month we gathered 16 dynamic scientists, artists and scientists/artists for the first International Arts + Mind Lab Impact-Based Thinking Working Group meeting. For those of you who were able to join us, thank you for a thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion! For those who weren’t, we are excited to share what we discussed and hear […]

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