Art as Medicine: A Creative Outlet for Radiologists

Winners from last year’s contest share insights about the connection between art and imaging

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. 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. 

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 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.

Dr. Powers’ winning piece in 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. 

Daily, Dr. Powers finds inspiration 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.”

For Sahar Ahmad, PhD, a research instructor 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 research career today. In her work, art and science are inseparable.

Her winning contest entry began with structural and diffusion MRIs. She reconstructed brain surfaces, deep gray matter structures, and white matter tracts, resulting in a vivid, data-driven image of the brain’s hidden architecture. 

Creating these visualizations is as restorative as it is instructive for 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 explained.

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.”

The Art of Imaging at RSNA 2025

For this year’s contest, radiologists, researchers, trainees and imaging professionals were invited to submit original artwork inspired by the science and practice of medical imaging. There were 119 submissions from 43 unique participants and winners were selected through online voting. 

This popular exhibition helps celebrate the diverse ways art can illuminate the intricate world of medical imaging and its subspecialties. Visit the Learning Center to see the winning entries.