IMNF Collaborates on 2025 Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Grant

We’re honored to share that the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) is collaborating with Stanford University, one of nine recipients of the prestigious 2025 Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Awards. These awards, established by the Renée Fleming Foundation and administered through the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative—a partnership between Johns Hopkins University and the Aspen Institute—support early-career investigators advancing the emerging field of neuroarts.

This year’s winning projects explore the powerful intersection between the arts and health, ranging from studies on choral singing and dementia to the therapeutic use of painting, dance, and poetry in clinical and community settings. Each award supports innovative interdisciplinary research aimed at deepening our understanding of how creative experiences influence the brain, body, and behavior—and how this knowledge can be applied to promote healing and well-being.

Music Therapy as a Digital Therapeutic
The Stanford-led project, developed in collaboration with IMNF, explores how music therapy principles can be adapted into a self-administered digital therapeutic to support young adults living with depression and anxiety. The study is being led by Dr. Daniel Bowling of Stanford and Sarah Fogler, MS, MT-BC, LCAT-LP, a board-certified music therapist at IMNF.

Combining neuroscience and music therapy, this work aims to broaden access to the therapeutic benefits of music by creating a digital intervention grounded in clinical expertise. IMNF is proud to contribute to this national effort to bring the power of the arts to the forefront of healthcare innovation.

What Is Neuroarts?

Neuroarts is a growing interdisciplinary field that builds on the science of neuroaesthetics—the study of how aesthetic experiences (like music, art, and dance) affect brain function, behavior, and health outcomes. The Neuroarts Investigator Awards help ensure that this important work continues to expand and evolve.

As Renée Fleming shared in her announcement:

“By nurturing the imaginative spirit that propels the neuroarts field, we're not just advancing scientific discovery—we're equipping the next generation of researchers to make a strong case for its transformative power.”

We look forward to sharing updates as our project unfolds—and to contributing to the broader movement of making the arts a meaningful part of modern medicine.

To learn more about the NeuroArts Blueprint and this year’s award recipients, visit neuroartsblueprint.org