Neuroarts Research Field Guide: Understanding How the Arts Shape Our Brain, Body, and Behavior

Q&A Session from “Neuroarts Research Field Guide: Understanding How the Arts Shape Our Brain, Body, and Behavior”

Q: Where can participants access the Neuroarts Research Field Guide, and what resources does it offer for artists, educators, and researchers?

A: The Neuroarts Research Field Guide will be published in the next few weeks through the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative. The guide, developed with neuroarts colleagues across multiple disciplines under the leadership of the Director of Research for the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, Dr. Emmeline Edwards, provides an accessible overview of the field's conceptual foundations, research landscape, collaboration models, and practical applications. It explores five foundational frameworks: the Brain-Body-Behavior Model, Mechanisms of Artistic Experience, the Biopsychosocial Model, Theory of Change, and Multiple Ways of Knowing. The guide also examines different approaches to neuroarts research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world applications. Designed for researchers, artists, educators, and practitioners, it aims to connect research initiatives, artistic innovations, and community programs through shared frameworks and strategies.

Q: How can the Neuroarts Research Field Guide help users apply research findings to arts education, community programs, and everyday practice?

A: The Neuroarts Research Field Guide introduces frameworks that can help researchers and practitioners translate scientific findings into meaningful applications. For example, the Theory of Change model maps the connections between program activities, outputs, expected outcomes, and the assumptions underlying those relationships. The Biopsychosocial Model considers how artistic engagement can simultaneously influence biological processes, psychological states, and social environments. These frameworks can help inform the development and evaluation of arts-based initiatives across educational, clinical, and community settings. As Susan Magsamen emphasized, scientific discovery alone does not create societal impact. Research findings must be translated into programs, interventions, environments, and policies that benefit individuals and communities, while insights from practical applications should also inform future research.

Q: How can other disciplines (i.e. artists, educators, creative arts therapists, etc.) collaborate with neuroscience institutions to build meaningful research partnerships?

A: The webinar emphasized that advancing neuroarts research requires intentional interdisciplinary collaboration and the inclusion of knowledge beyond traditional academic disciplines. The Neuroarts Research Field Guide highlights the importance of bringing together scientists, artists, practitioners, and individuals with deep knowledge of their communities. This includes recognizing ancestral and Indigenous knowledge and learning from the distinct frameworks and approaches of different fields. Susan Magsamen described collaboration and knowledge exchange as essential to building a stronger evidence base for neuroarts. The webinar also offered examples of interdisciplinary partnerships, including research connecting music and neuroscience, dance and physiological measurement, and architecture and cognitive science. These collaborations demonstrate how different forms of expertise can contribute to investigating artistic experiences and translating research into practice.

Q: What funding opportunities are available for neuroarts research, including the Fleming research awards, and who is eligible to apply internationally?

A: The Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Awards, a cornerstone program of the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, support pilot research projects conducted by collaborating teams of artists and scientists. To date, the program has supported 26 teams of researchers and artists and invested nearly $600,000 in neuroarts research, including 10 awards presented in 2026. As indicated during the webinar, another call for proposals will be issued; however, please note that applicants must be US citizens or permanent US residents. The awards reflect the initiative's commitment to advancing interdisciplinary research and strengthening the field's evidence base. To learn more about this awards program please visit the Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Awards page on the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative website.

In addition to this program there may be other neuroarts research awards and grant programs available through a variety of organizations and agencies, such as the US National Institutes of Health, the US National Endowment for the Arts, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, and The Music Man Foundation, to name a few. The Neuroarts Resource Center (NRC), a community resource launched by the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, is designed as a space for the global neuroarts community to share resources and research, learn about funding opportunities, and seek collaborators.

Q: What does it take to establish and sustain neuroarts research centers and community coalitions, particularly in areas with limited resources?

The NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative identifies building evidence, strengthening infrastructure, and fostering community as interconnected priorities for advancing neuroarts and emphasizes the importance of connecting research initiatives, artistic practices, and community programs that often operate independently. The Neuroarts Research Field Guide highlights interdisciplinary collaboration, community-based research, and the inclusion of knowledge holders outside traditional academic institutions. These approaches recognize the value of local expertise, lived experience, and community priorities in developing meaningful neuroarts initiatives. The guide also emphasizes translating research into practical applications and allowing insights from those applications to inform future investigation.

In addition, to support the growth of the neuroarts field and offer expanded opportunities, the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative launched two important programs designed to build evidence, strengthen infrastructure, and build community:

• the Neuroarts Academic Network, a global coalition of academic institutions dedicated to advancing the field of neuroarts through a varied array of disciplines
• the Community Neuroarts Coalitions Network, which focuses on local evidence-to-impact collaborations of diverse stakeholders who engage the power of the arts and aesthetic experiences to improve the health, wellbeing, cohesion, and resilience of their communities.

Universities, research organizations, community groups interested in learning more about these programs are welcome to reach out to the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative team. Finally, organizations, artists, researchers, practitioners, students can also join the Neuroarts Resource Center to share their work and identify other researchers, practitioners, and institutions with complementary interests.

Q: Where can participants find neuroarts publications, educational materials, training programs, career opportunities, and upcoming events?

A: The webinar highlighted the Neuroarts Resource Center (NRC) as a resource for connecting individuals and organizations working across the neuroarts field. The NRC, with members from over 175 countries, provides a place to discover and share neuroarts research results, funding information, career opportunities, events, and other resources. The NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative also supports efforts to strengthen education, research, and professional pathways through programs such as the Neuroarts Academic Network (NAN). During the webinar, Susan Magsamen introduced a field survey, launched by the NAN, examining how academic institutions and other organizations train and prepare individuals to apply neuroarts knowledge in the workforce. The survey is intended to identify gaps and opportunities in educational offerings, career preparation, and institutional infrastructure. The forthcoming Neuroarts Research Field Guide will provide an additional resource for understanding the field’s research foundations, methodologies, and applications.

Q: What research methods can evaluate neuroarts interventions (i.e. qualitative research, single-person studies, longitudinal studies, and molecular approaches)?

A: The Neuroarts Research Field Guide describes many approaches to investigating artistic experiences and their effects on health and wellbeing. Laboratory and experimental research uses tools such as neuroimaging and physiological measurements to examine underlying mechanisms. Clinical and translational research includes randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and implementation research. Community-based and participatory approaches investigate how creative engagement influences social cohesion, cultural identity, and collective wellbeing, while practice-based and arts-led research recognizes knowledge generated through artistic processes. The panelists illustrated these approaches through the research they are conducting involving music and memory, dance and physical activity, and architectural design and emotional experience.

Q: How do music training, instrument choice, personal preferences, group singing, and non-Western musical traditions influence health and wellbeing?

Dr. Assal Habibi presented research examining the effects of music training and personalized music listening. Her work with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), based on Venezuela's El Sistema model, involves group-based instrumental instruction beginning with violin. Habibi emphasized the importance of social interaction, enjoyment, and musical familiarity in sustaining participation. Although her research has focused on Western classical music, she stressed that its benefits are unlikely to be exclusive to a particular instrument or tradition. She also described research with older adults examining how personally meaningful, nostalgic music engages brain regions associated with memory, reward, and self-referential processing. More broadly, Susan Magsamen highlighted choral singing as an example of artistic engagement that can influence cardiovascular activity while fostering social bonds. For those wishing to learn more about music and health research, the Berklee School of Music has a robust research collection available at https://remix.berklee.edu/mhi/.

Q: How do dance and other embodied movement practices affect body awareness, functional movement, and quality of life?

A: Dr. Aston McCullough presented research examining dance as a form of physical activity and creative expression. His laboratory uses wearable sensors, cameras, and physiological measurements to investigate movement patterns and their relationships to health outcomes. Research presented during the webinar found that free-form dance can achieve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity, including among individuals without formal dance training. Dancing to self-selected music was associated with greater movement intensity, while free-form dance was also positively associated with self-reported mindfulness. McCullough discussed research with Dance for PD, finding that online dance classes for individuals with Parkinson's disease can provide health-enhancing levels of physical activity. He also emphasized that dance experiences may retain emotional significance over time, with participants recalling meaningful experiences and feelings of joy from earlier periods of their lives.

Q: How does creating and viewing visual art influence brain function, emotional health, and wellbeing?

A: Although the webinar did not present a dedicated study of visual art creation or viewing, the Neuroarts Research Field Guide introduces several frameworks for investigating artistic and aesthetic experiences. The Brain-Body-Behavior Model considers how creative engagement affects multiple bodily systems, while the Biopsychosocial Model examines interactions among biological processes, psychological states, and social environments. The guide also discusses practice-based and arts-led research, recognizing that artists can generate knowledge through creative processes that illuminate perception, emotion, memory, and meaning-making. These frameworks provide approaches for investigating visual art alongside other artistic disciplines and for understanding how artistic experiences may influence health and wellbeing.

Q: How do the benefits of dance compare with those of music training, sports, or yoga, and what role does combining movement with creative expression play?

A: Dr. Aston McCullough presented research indicating that dance provides health benefits comparable to other forms of physical activity and may outperform certain activities for specific outcomes, including working memory, balance, flexibility, and body composition. His research also found that free-form dancing can reach moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity and that movement intensity increases when participants dance to self-selected music. Beyond physical activity, dance incorporates creative expression, sensory experience, and personal meaning. McCullough's research further identified positive associations between free-form dance and self-reported mindfulness. These findings illustrate how dance combines physical movement with artistic engagement, offering opportunities to investigate both its physiological and experiential dimensions.

Q: How does architecture, acoustics, lighting, and spatial design affect wellbeing, and how can findings inform affordable, accessible spaces?

Dr. Susan Chung presented HKS's Project WHY, an interdisciplinary research initiative investigating how architectural environments influence feelings of awe, belonging, and creativity. The project combines crowdsourced surveys, virtual reality experiments, and physiological measurements to examine relationships between spatial design and emotional experience. Participants in the initial survey identified features such as dramatic lighting and the immensity of spaces as contributors to feelings of awe. Preliminary experimental findings also suggested that building facades with greater coherence and complexity may evoke awe. Chung emphasized the importance of considering the complete sensory environment, including acoustics, and understanding how different design elements interact. She also discussed research informing environments for older adults, including assisted living and memory care settings.

The International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University, a partner in the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative along with the Aspen Institute, also leads the Intentional Spaces Initiative, which is focused on neurospatial design and bridging research, architecture, and design to support health and wellbeing.

Q: How can neuroarts interventions support people with neurological conditions and/or mental health concerns?

A: Research exploring how artistic engagement may support individuals experiencing neurological conditions and other health challenges has been conducted and is ongoing. For example, webinar participant, Dr. Assal Habibi presented work examining personalized music listening among older adults, including those with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia. Her research found that nostalgic music produced greater activation in brain regions associated with memory, reward, and self-referential processing compared with familiar but nonpersonalized music. In addition, Dr. Aston McCullough discussed research with Dance for PD, demonstrating that online dance classes for individuals with Parkinson's disease can provide moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. More broadly, the Neuroarts Research Field Guide identifies clinical and translational research examining artistic engagement in relation to mental health conditions, trauma, stress, cognitive decline, rehabilitation, and symptom management.

Q: How might artificial intelligence support or disrupt creative engagement, neuroarts research, and therapeutic applications?

A: Webinar participants demonstrated how artificial intelligence (AI) and computational methods can support neuroarts research by enabling new ways to measure and analyze artistic engagement. Dr. Aston McCullough presented research using deep learning, wearable sensors, and computer vision to identify dance behavior and quantify physical activity intensity. His laboratory developed a model capable of distinguishing dance from other movement behaviors with 91.5% accuracy when using five wearable devices. Dr. Susan Chung also described research combining virtual reality, EEG, eye tracking, and physiological measurements to investigate emotional responses to architectural environments. These examples illustrate how emerging technologies can contribute to understanding the relationships among artistic experiences, brain activity, and bodily responses.

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