How can music support mental health? While hundreds of studies have been conducted to answer this question, the availability and application of music interventions for mental health remain limited. Part of the challenge is the multidisciplinary nature of this research and difficulties in synthesizing findings across different fields including psychology, neurology, psychiatry, music, and public health. […]

The healing power of music for mental health has been formally studied across many professions – from psychology to music therapy to nursing – dating back to the 1940s. A recent global scoping review evaluated published research on music-related interventions for serious mental health issues and underscored the therapeutic potential of music to support mental […]

Following an improvised explosive device detonation during a military mission, Captain Luis Avila was left paralyzed and unable to speak.  With intensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and music therapy, Avila began his recovery. The music therapy provided by the Creative Forces program proved to be an essential rehabilitation tool and helped Avila regain […]

As anyone who has heard “their song” can attest, the right music has the power to make you move. Now healthcare providers are trying to harness this power to help patients with a neurological motor disorder, Parkinson’s disease (PD). Over the past three decades, researchers have begun to uncover the neural basis of music’s effect […]

The International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) hosted its inaugural Dialog Series this spring, featuring singer/songwriter turned public health researcher Tasha Golden PhD. Dr. Golden’s workshop, Advancing Health Equity: Embracing the Creative Process to Evolve Health Research, demonstrated the value of using the arts as an innovative tool for communication, research and healing in […]

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 […]

How do people move through cities? Is technology helping or hindering their movement? The answer may depend on whom you ask. IAM Lab Executive Director Susan Magsamen joined a dynamic panel for “Mind the Gap: Improving Urban Mobility through Science and Design,” hosted by Van Alen Institute and moderated by Jonathan Hilburg, assistant editor at […]

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 […]

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, […]