UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State School of Theatre faculty member Bill Doan’s collaborative research project examining how drawing can be a tool for managing mental health is among the first recipients of the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Awards.

Doan, professor of theatre and director of the Penn State Arts & Design Research Incubator, is collaborating with lead investigator Sarah Myruski, assistant research professor of psychology and associate director of the Emotion Development Lab, and lab director Kristin Buss, professor of psychology and human development and family studies. The project aims to take Doan’s longtime research related to drawing and mental health to a new level by examining individuals’ physiological responses while drawing.

“Our ability to add neurophysiological data to our study will contribute to our goal of providing empirical evidence for the use of artistic endeavors to reduce anxiety and shape neurophysiological emotion regulation,” Doan said. “We’re grateful to the Renee Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Awards.”

Neuroarts is the study of how the arts measurably change the brain and body and how this knowledge is translated into practices that advance health and wellbeing. The Renée Fleming Foundation, which is committed to helping build the future of music and health research and to supporting emerging artists and organizations engaged in this critical work, joined with the NeuroArts Blueprint initiative to establish the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Awards. They support both basic and applied research that expands the evidence base of the emerging field of neuroarts and furthers the mission of the NeuroArts Blueprint, which is a partnership between Johns Hopkins University and the Aspen Institute.

Doan and Myruski’s project is one of seven that will receive a total of $122,500.

“We are thrilled to seed research that uses a range of methodologies to advance our knowledge about how all art forms influence health,” said Eric Nestler, co-chair of the NeuroArts Blueprint Advisory Council, in a news release. Nestler is a neuroscientist and dean for academic affairs and chief scientific officer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Health System. “Building a deeper evidence base to explain the science involved will allow academics, funders and policymakers to elevate music, dance, theatre, visual arts and so many other art modalities to promote our health.”