The military face many health risks and challenges on the battlefield, but the scars they carry are not always visible. While physical injuries are on the decline in recent years, service members are increasingly struggling with lingering psychological tolls. More than 500,000 veterans of the U.S. military live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic […]

On Memorial Day, we honor members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our country’s liberty. We also pay homage to those who returned home bearing the scars of their heroism. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a fitting time to acknowledge that more than 500,000 service members are living […]

The International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) of Johns Hopkins University recently teamed up with Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) on an innovative new study of the therapeutic potential of virtual reality. Led by Girija Kaimal, EdD, assistant professor in CNHP’s Creative Arts Therapies Department, and Susan Magsamen, executive director […]

Music has long been associated with mental, physical, and spiritual health. And someday soon, doctors may start prescribing their patients a dose of music to accompany more conventional medicine. The Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine, an interdepartmental collaboration between the School of Medicine and Peabody Conservatory, is actively exploring the science and therapeutic […]

Music, painting, writing and other arts enrich our lives in so many ways. But they’re not only good for the soul; they can also enhance physical well-being, including heart health, and may even lower our risk of developing certain types of heart disease. These heart-healthy benefits start with a calming influence. Whether we create art […]

Image:  UF Center for Arts in Medicine Healing through arts is ancient practice with innumerable applications in modern day medicine. Yet integration of the arts into contemporary healthcare has its challenges, requiring thoughtful cross-sector collaboration to shape and grow the field. With this mind, the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) at Johns Hopkins […]

The second annual National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) conference, part of the Healthcare Facilities Symposium and Expo, took place in Austin, TX this past October 2018. This dynamic event provided opportunities for a highly interdisciplinary cohort, including researchers, public health officials, policy makers, healthcare professionals and artists, to share knowledge at the intersection […]

Seven service members, all diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from combat, sat at the psychotherapy group table, creating symbols of themselves out of clay on a fabric placemat to keep their workspace clean. During the verbal processing part of the group, each participant described what he made; symbols that ranged from flat hearts to […]

IAM Lab participated in the first annual Foundation of Youth Consortium in Saint Petersburg and Tampa, Fla., March 23- 24, 2018. Symposium leaders launching this initiative include Dr. Jonathon Ellen, President of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital; Hank Hine, Executive Director of the Dali Museum; Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab […]

Jamal Davis, a young singer-songwriter, always dreamed of pursuing a career in music. Jamal was working to get an audition for The Voice when he found himself in need of a heart transplant for his congenitally enlarged heart. Jamal went to the University of Florida (UF) Health Shands Hospital, where his nurses enlisted him in […]