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Art as a multiplier of science communication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2026

Jessica German
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Colleen Itani
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Julie Rainbow
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Angela McQuillan
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Marguerita Hagan
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Emma A. Meagher
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Carsten Skarke*
Affiliation:
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
*
Corresponding author: C. Skarke; Email: cskarke@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
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Abstract

Clinical and translational science faces persistent challenges in public trust, effective communication, and siloed knowledge structures. Addressing these issues requires innovative educational and engagement strategies. We present an artist-in-residency program immersed into an undergraduate pathway program to integrate artwork as a tool to enhance science communication, foster public engagement, and build a resilient translational science workforce. Through structured art-science–community interactions, this initiative demonstrates how artistic practice builds a new collaborative communication framework for linking early-career scientists, clinical translational research faculty, and the broader community. The conceptual novelty of our science-art initiative promises to break communication barriers, increase public trust, and develop new, accessible science narratives.

Information

Type
Special Communication
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - SA
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the same Creative Commons licence is used to distribute the re-used or adapted article and the original article is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press or the rights holder(s) must be obtained prior to any commercial use.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Association for Clinical and Translational Science
Figure 0

Figure 1. Qualitative and quantitative analysis results. Building a framework to measure outcomes for the immersive artist-in-residency program. (A) Word clouds generated from free-text survey statements (11 documents in 2022, 10 in 2023, and 12 in 2024) prompted by the question “Please describe how the Artist in Residence enriched/did not enrich your experience here” using JMP® Pro 17.2.0. with syncategorematic words removed and centered layout and arbitrary colors as settings (B) its emotional tone quantified by sentiment analysis (JMP® Pro 17.2.0). (C) (D) Survey data summarized as thematic bar chart by ChatGPT Edu (GPT 5.1 model, OpenAI).

Figure 1

Figure 2. Innovating science communication through art. The 2024 cohort of undergraduate students transformed their hands-on clinical translational research projects onto bisque-fired ceramic “shields,” convex ceramic sculptures hung on the wall designed and built by the artist-in-residence (M.H.), in a multi-step process consisting of conceptualizing the science to art translation, painting the shield first with underglaze and after drying with clear glaze, followed by a second firing in M.H.’s kilns, then applying gold, silver, and mother of pearl luster to highlight details with an iridescent effect, followed by a third and final firing in M.H.’s kilns. M.H. guided undergraduate students and mentors through this process by discussing techniques, offering suggestions, and giving actionable feedback. The six shields at the top depict clinical translational research projects in brain and mental health. Here, a student’s shield (Healing Waves) was complemented by the mentor’s shield (The Energy We Receive), addressing research on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The four shields on the left represent organ health and the four on the right cover aspects of cell biology. Please see the more detailed descriptions in the supplementary material 2 and supplementary material 3, which include additional shields by mentoring staff and faculty. M.H. created her own shield entitled Infinite Healing (bottom right) based on her 2024 and 2025 experience as AiR (M.H. returned in 2025 for a second year as AiR). The artists-in-residence in 2022 (J.R.) and 2023 (A.M.) transferred shared experiences between artists and scientists into communities through a public art exhibition (bottom left and center). The model in 2024 amplified the knowledge transfer into the communities by engaging the students (including mentors) to transform their clinical translational science project into artwork and communicate about brain, mental and organ health and aspects of cell biology in a public forum, modeled after an artist’s critique. Students described their ceramic shields and corresponding research projects while engaging in audience Q&A. Many audience members connected the artwork to their own experiences, prompting questions about the research areas represented. This exchange illustrates how translating science into art fosters dialog, personal connection, and unifying human understanding, which are key elements for building trust in science.

Supplementary material: File

German et al. supplementary material

German et al. supplementary material
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