Wake Forest expands leadership in neuroarts

Wake Forest is expanding its leadership in the rapidly growing field of neuroarts, where research shows how creative expression can support brain health, strengthen well-being, and deepen human connection. Building on more than a decade of interdisciplinary work, from arts and aging research to community-based pilots, Wake Forest is advancing this momentum through new global partnerships, local collaboration, and institutional investment.

In September 2025, Wake Forest was invited to join the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, a global partnership led by Johns Hopkins University and the Aspen Institute. As part of this effort, Wake Forest is also a member of the newly launched Neuroarts Academic Network, a consortium of more than 35 universities dedicated to advancing research, training, and workforce development at the intersection of arts, health, and science.

To support continued growth in this space, Wake Forest is launching a new Neuroarts Lab through funding from the Strategic Framework and celebrating international recognition as a global finalist for the 2025 Legacy Award as part of the Global Leaders Institute’s Global Arts Prize. 

Wake Forest will also host the Arts, Health Care, and Humanities in Action Symposium on Friday, February 13, 2026, in partnership with community organizations across Winston-Salem and North Carolina. Led by Reynolds Professor of Dance Christina Soriano and Rebecca E. Shaw Professor and Director Memory Counseling Program Christina Hugenschmidt, the symposium will bring together artists, scholars, clinicians, service organizations, and funders to explore how arts-based interventions can strengthen health care and community well-being, building on local work such as the Arts-on-Prescription pilot study.

Together, these milestones reflect Wake Forest’s growing impact in an emerging field shaping the future of health, learning, and connection.

Read the full story to learn more about Wake Forest’s neuroarts leadership and what’s next.