Art as Medicine: Radiologists' Creative Outlet
The Art of Imaging contest highlights how radiologists use art to reduce stress, inspire their work and celebrate anatomy
When Andria M. Powers, MD, set up a new art table during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t just a hobby, it was a lifeline. Then, a busy pediatric neuroradiologist at the Children’s Nebraska in Omaha, a mother of three, and a fellow in training at the time, Dr. Powers found herself craving a creative outlet to help manage the stress and uncertainty in her life.
“I realized that the act of artmaking was therapeutic for me to process the things in my life and detach in an almost meditative type of way,” she said. “Exercising creativity allows me to tap into a different way of seeing and thinking, which helps me be more grounded and a better problem solver.”.
Dr. Powers’ story is one of many illustrating the way radiologists and imaging researchers use art to connect with their work in a new dimension. For some, including winners of last year’s RSNA The Art of Imaging contest like Dr. Powers, art is more than a pastime—it is a way to deepen their connection to radiology, process stress and celebrate the beauty of the human body.
From Florence to the Reading Room
The seeds of that creativity were planted long before Dr. Powers’ medical career began.
She double majored in studio art and biochemistry as an undergraduate. After graduation, she spent six months in Florence, Italy, studying painting, art history and language. She even considered skipping medical school altogether.
“I almost did not apply to med school because I was so engaged in the art and the art of the city,” she recalled. “But my mom was pretty convinced that I should follow the path I had set.”
Her winning piece from the RSNA 2024 The Art of Imaging contest entitled Whimsy, reflects this lifelong duality. It combines a relief print of a sagittal brain image—complete with cranial nerves—with watercolor textures inspired by histology slides.
Dr. Powers layered in flowers and mountains to reflect the natural world outside of medicine. “This piece represents duplicity with two art media in one, as well as mixing literal anatomic elements I see daily in my work life with fun nature elements and art from my personal life,” she explained.
Beyond her artwork, Dr. Powers routinely discovers inspiration every day in her field. “I find beauty in radiology every day,” she said. “I see beautiful shapes in MRIs, CTs and X-rays and sketch them or save a reference for a new idea. When the body is segmented into little areas as on an imaging study, you can separate the thing from something abstract.”
Seeing Science as Art
For Sahar Ahmad, PhD, a research instructor in the Department of Radiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, art has always been part of her story, beginning with childhood competitions and continuing through her career as a researcher today. In her research, art and science are inseparable.
“My research explores how the human brain develops from the womb through old age: transforming from a simple tube into a highly complex structure with enormous, interlinked areas that coordinate the functions we depend on daily,” Dr. Ahmad said. “I enjoy visualizing the brain’s complexity as artwork that both mesmerizes and enlightens a broad audience.”
Her winning contest entry entitled “MindMap: The intricate connections of the human brain” began with structural and diffusion MRIs, which she used to reconstruct brain surfaces, deep gray matter structures, and white matter tracts.
The result was a vivid, data-based image of the brain’s hidden architecture. “This artwork was created to illustrate the remarkable architecture of the human brain and to aesthetically convey its grandeur,” Dr. Ahmad said.
Creating these visualizations is as restorative as it is instructive, according to Dr. Ahmad. “Experimenting with color schemes and designing visual themes gives an exciting outlook to numerical data that would otherwise seem uninteresting. It also refreshes my mood and refills energy for the work ahead,” she said.
Dr. Ahmad also sees clear parallels between her research and creative work. “Scientists and artists have three ‘Cs’ in common: curiosity, critical thinking and creativity,” she explained. “Both communicate novel ideas and provide unique insights that shift perspectives.”
Creativity as Medicine
While their methods and mediums differ, both winners agree that art has a place in medicine, not only as a tool for communication but also as a safeguard against burnout. Dr. Powers likens painting to meditation. Dr. Ahmad views illustration as a refreshing counterbalance to the rigor of computational research.
“Creative outlets like artmaking or writing open a space to process grief we don’t even realize we have,” Dr. Powers said. “It can allow us to shift how we see the world, a moment or a problem and then bring to it a new sense of understanding, patience and compassion.”
That sense of healing and perspective is what keeps them creating, even amid demanding schedules. For Dr. Ahmad, the spark comes from a love that goes back to childhood. “I was naturally inclined toward artwork and painting and often participated in art competitions,” she said.
That early joy, now woven into her scientific career, continues to fuel her resilience.
And for Dr. Powers, the pull of creativity is something she still feels acutely—a reminder that art is not an escape from medicine, but a way to sustain the people who practice it.
The Art of Imaging at RSNA 2025
Radiologists, researchers, trainees and imaging professionals were invited to submit original artwork inspired by the science and practice of medical imaging during the RSNA 2025 The Art of Imaging contest submission period, Aug. 1-28.
The winners were selected through online voting that ran from Aug. 29 to Sept. 18. Entries will be showcased throughout the Learning Center during RSNA 2025.
The contest highlights creativity across media—from digital art and photography to painting, sculpture and mixed forms that connect medicine and the arts. Access the list of top selections from this year's contest.
For More Information
View other entries from The Art of Imaging contest held at RSNA 2024.
Register to attend RSNA 2025.
Read previous RSNA News stories on art and radiology: