Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics

In this Voices from the Field, we speak with Daisy Fancourt, Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology and Head of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at University College London, about how art shapes health & wellbeing. Her book, Art Cure, has just been released

Article: tinyurl.com/4zujnkf8

We are thrilled to announce our 2026 keynote speakers for SfNC Liberty to Create—leaders in the empirical study of aesthetic experience, artistic production, and appreciation.

Have you participated in a successful artist–researcher collaboration? Submit an abstract—we want to hear from you!

Earlier this week, I posted a video with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee for my ongoing Philly Arts Report series with @thephilacitizen.bsky.social.

Dr. Anjan has been studying the effects of murals in Philly. Today, we focus in on his answer to one question: Why is access to art so important right now?

Why are Philly’s murals so important? How do they compare to others kinds of art from around the globe? And how can the City better support the arts?

For today’s Philly Arts Report we talk with Anjan Chatterjee, the Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics.

A few of our lab members are involved in organizing this meeting and it’s sure to be a blast. Hope to see you there!

Exciting News: IAM Lab is Hiring the Inaugural Neuroarts Research Lead

We are thrilled to announce that the IAM Lab is accepting applications for the Inaugural Neuroarts Research Lead, marking a transformative step forward for the evolving interdisciplinary field of neuroarts.

tinyurl.com/4wjdnavh

Submissions are now open!

The 2026 IAEA Congress invites researchers, scholars, and artists from different domains and countries to present and share empirical research on aesthetics, creativity, and the psychology and neurobiology of the arts and aesthetics.

We are recruiting for a paid VR study! If you’ve been wanting to try Apple Vision Pro, here’s your chance.

Road trip down to Maryland! How far would you travel for a special participant group?

📣 New Paper Alert!
My PhD student Hannah Ovadia and I wrote a concise update on “The Role of the Default Mode Network (DMN) in Aesthetic Appeal” to synthesize evidence, highlight issues, and most importantly, consider theoretical alternatives.

Free access:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lz-h8MqMi...

Thanks for the opportunity to get out of our offices and disciplinary bubbles! It was so fun

We had a great day of presentations with our friends at Mural Arts and the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project @ Penn. Long overdue and looking forward to continuing the conversation!

Are You Moved by Beauty? Beauty is in the hand more than in the eye of the beholder.

How we subconsciously reach towards beauty 🫳

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brai...

Slow-looking enhances aesthetic experience People typically rush past artworks in museums, limiting their ability to benefit from meaningful engagement with art. We tested the hypothesis that slow-looking allows prolonged contemplation of a...

💥 New paper alert! 💥
We find that with guided slow-looking, some felt emotions are enhanced more than others
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

It’s ok, we’re happy for you guys 🥲

Incorporating feminist approaches in psychological science: why, what, and where. From @helenahartmann.com, @kohinoordarda.bsky.social, @v-meletaki.bsky.social, @nscorralfrias.bsky.social, @flavioazevedo.bsky.social et al. doi.org/10.1525/coll...

We're hosting a community teach-in at Pennovation in Grey's Ferry on Friday, August 15 from 5:30-7 PM.

Philly neighbors who are curious about brain science and what a brain looks like in an fMRI machine are invited to join us for this free event. RSVP required.

@standupforscience.bsky.social

Can arts-based interventions improve health? A conceptual and methodological critique Can art improve health and wellbeing? The claim that there is strong evidence that engaging with art ameliorates symptoms of mental and physical disor…

Commentaries for Marcos Nadal's and my recent paper "Can arts-based interventions improve health? A conceptual and methodological critique" have begun to roll in. To keep track of them I am starting this thread.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Finally, a note on the lab culture 💗

Our cross-continental friendship will allow us to continue investigating cross-cultural differences.

Her experience with alcohol research enabled us to ask some really interesting questions! Paper still in prep...

We're catching up with Mariola as she wraps up her postdoc with us, looking at bright spots in the last 2 years and exciting future directions!

Mariola, how did it all begin?

Pleased to be featured in the inaugural installment of the Neuroarts resource center new interview series: Voices from the filed. 🧪. www.neuroartsresourcecenter.com/post/voices-...

[disclaimer] this is a lab member’s brain, not a regular participant 😅

Recruitment tip: participants LOVE going home with a bespoke fridge magnet of their scan! A DIY magnet press was a great investment for our lab

For our friends in Paris at @tsfnc.bsky.social this week: our visiting Fulbright alum Gyulten Hyusein will be presenting some findings about gesture, creativity, and aging in the symposium on Thursday, 10:15, Amp. E. 🖐️🤯🤚

Why use our new library of 300+ art images for your experiment?
🌍 Intentionally inclusive of non-Western art
😀😵‍💫😢 Normed for 11 emotional states each
📊 Interactive data viz for stimulus selection
Got questions? Let us know!
doi.org/10.1037/aca0...

We lost our NEA on Friday too. My deepest sympathy and solidarity to your team

Today we're launching the first-of-its-kind Neuroarts Resource Center (NRC), a groundbreaking global digital platform created by the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, where people passionate about the arts and aesthetics come together to connect, collaborate and learn.

www.neuroartsresourcecenter.com

Neuroaesthetics: Unlocking How Art Can Make Us Smarter, Happier, and Healthier Neuroaesthetics, an emerging field of research, studies how the arts can enhance our health and wellbeing.

I was interviewed as part of this article on Neuroaesthetics. Also featuring @anjanchatterjee.bsky.social

www.theoverview.art/neuroaesthet...