Objective:

To describe the launch and early impact of the “Neurohumanities Network” (NHN), a virtual, transdisciplinary collaborative at the intersection of the arts, humanities, and neurosciences.

Background:

As an emerging transdisciplinary field, the neurohumanities explores phenomena at the intersection of the arts, humanities, and neurosciences. Despite a growing interest, no accessible curriculum currently exists for interested trainees in clinical neurology. To address this gap, we launched the Neurohumanities Network (NHN), a virtual, cross-institutional program. NHN offers discussion-based seminars and supports a community of clinicians, artists, humanists, and neuroscientists exploring this field.

Design/Methods:

NHN offers a core curriculum of monthly virtual seminars from a diverse group of speakers including clinical neurologists, neuroscientists, artists, and humanists. Seminars include a lecture followed by Q&A and topics include the role of music in brain medicine, the study of history in neurology, the basis of creativity in our brains, and more. The online program is supplemented by local gatherings in a “hub and spoke” model to encourage live interactions between members of the network. Network engagement is supported by social media posts, a website, and a monthly newsletter. Evaluation of the reach and impact of the NHN is ongoing.

Results:

We report six months of data collection including participant demographics, social media interactions, website visits, listserv membership, virtual event attendance, and post-meeting surveys.

Conclusions:

By promoting the role of the arts and humanities in neurosciences and neurology, our virtual network addresses an unmet need in neurology education. NHN also broadens access by connecting clinicians and trainees with experts outside of their disciplines. Future directions include introducing “booster sessions” between lectures to support hands-on engagement with the arts and humanities (e.g. dance, writing, culinary arts programming).