Bridging science, art and society

Last year, when I founded NeuroBead, I based it on the idea that scientists like myself would want to see beautiful images from their research commemorated as pieces of art, that they could display on their walls.  Many academic institutions, especially neuroscience departments, decorate their hallways with enlarged photos of cells that were taken under a microscope.  These images are both gorgeous to look at and representative of the great scientific discoveries achieved by the researchers.  They deserve to be preserved and remembered.  Many departments and microscopy facilities even send out calls for best image competitions.  I wanted to take this process one step further and portray this integration of science and visual art in a more creative form.

My initial expectations were focused on scientists, graduate students and postdocs, who would want to convert their work into a memorable keepsake.  After taking a look at other such initiatives, I came across quite a few SciArt enthusiasts, with interesting projects and exhibits such as “Finding Beauty in the Beast”,  the LIGO Project and the SciArt Center.   These projects were mostly initiated by scientists who wanted to share the beauty of what they see in their day-to-day lives with the rest of the world.

But here comes the surprise.  While I was able to find quite a number of like-minded scientists, I did not expect to trigger the interest of patients, whose treatment is the main purpose of our work.  One such individual happened to come across some of my work on Instagram, and that was where the real dialogue began.

Neuron with dendritic marker colocalization

This person was very brave to contact me and share a truly inspiring personal story of battling her neurological condition.  We ended up collaboratively designing a custom piece for her that is still currently in the works.  I will be back soon to post more pictures and explain the true significance of this piece.  For now, I just want to say that such work is truly inspiring for me and I am very grateful for this opportunity.

A neural network firing action potentials

Please follow me on Instagram to see more up to date work in progress shots and check out my Etsy Shop!

I would also love to hear if you have any ideas for future projects that I should explore.  Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Daily Prompt:  Expectation