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...

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!

How we subconsciously reach towards beauty 🫳 www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brai...

💥 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

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...

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-...

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...

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

I was interviewed as part of this article on Neuroaesthetics. Also featuring @anjanchatterjee.bsky.social www.theoverview.art/neuroaesthet...

If you are in NYC, come on May 2- 3 @ the Center for Performance Research to watch the performance 'intero' choreographed by Spenser Stroud, performed by 3 amazing dancers and inspired by my PhD work on interoception and emotion perception. 🧠🫀🫁🩰 Info & tickets: www.cprnyc.org/events/eury-...

We were surprised to find no major differences in experiencing art in the museum vs. the lab, suggesting that the meaning and emotion imbued in art can transcend contexts. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brai...

While we sadly had to say goodbye to Eva in the EVAlabs, two new people will have the chance to say hello to her at her new lab in Tübingen @iwmtue.bsky.social www.iwm-tuebingen.de/www/en/karri...

When cherished beliefs and intuitions turn out to not be confirmed. Not a lot of difference in the impact of art seen in museums versus on a screen in the lab. Reasons to actually test intuitions. With @kohinoordarda.bsky.social and others. 🧪 #sciart www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Nora Youn & I presented our findings on the impact of nature & music videos on aesthetic experience and physiology at the APA 10- Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts this weekend. More about the videos: aiaphiladelphia.org/news/context... @pcfn.bsky.social

Live from APA Div10: How do creativity (and arts/aesthetics) researchers score on the AUT?

For 33+ years, in my lab, I have hosted bright scholars from around the world. With the current hostility to science and xenophobia, I hope young minds, a constant source of inspiration, do not turn away from the US. A short video--Hilary Serra, @pcfn.bsky.social 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhtr...

My conversation about beautiful conversation with Daniel Stillman just released. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

that one researcher who always wants to run a deception study collecting PHI using an investigational device:

As the new Artwork Editors for Cortex, we (Anjan and Bella) hope to honor former EIC Sergio Della Sala’s tradition of choosing cover art that is not simply illustrative but leaves the viewer with MORE questions www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brai...

For those with the luxury of time (and interest) this is a lovely 1 hour conversation I had about the evolution of neuroaesthetics and where we in my center @pcfn.bsky.social are in our thinking. www.buzzsprout.com/2282727/epis...

This Friday, our center is thrilled to cohost (and attend!) this presentation by Dr. Jill Sonke. The connection between arts and wellness is a growing focus of ours. Noon EST, DM for Zoom 🔗 (but Penn affiliates pls come in-person for 🍕) Cohosted with @pennmindcore.bsky.social

A short video sponsored by the Templeton Religion Trust on the work we are doing at the @pcfn.bsky.social as part of the Art Seeks Understanding initiative. #art #artsci 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsKv...

Job alert! Intl Arts + Minds Lab is seeking a Project Manager for their Intentional Spaces Project. See link for details. drive.google.com/file/d/1L072...

Wait how do they know this

I was interviewed for the PBS News Hour for an exhibit motivated by neuroaesthetics, which I helped curate with Laura Hales at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Just dropped a couple of days ago. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxOS...

Thanks to the @pcfn.bsky.social for the daily dose of creativity and tolerance for statistics

Hello 🦋