VCU news

By Suzanne Silitch
VCU School of the Arts

John E. Nestler, M.D., has been named the inaugural physician-scientist-in-residence at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. Former chair of VCU’s Department of Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine and a member of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Nestler will bring his in-depth knowledge of medical science, the local medical environment and clinical research to the School of the Arts. 

The physician-scientist-in-residence program, one of the first residencies of its kind in an arts school, is part of an ongoing collaboration between the School of the Arts and the School of Medicine to help improve medical education and advance the clinical health and well-being in the community by addressing and solving problems through art and design.

“The creation of our physician-scientist-in-residence program is fueling the frontier of artistic discovery within Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond and beyond,” said Shawn Brixey, dean of the School of the Arts. “Dr. Nestler will accelerate the more than 20 existing collaborations between Arts and Medicine, helping to shape future discoveries. From using design to improve the daily lives of cancer patients, to using virtual reality to treat patients with anxiety disorders, we can use our specialized creative skills to solve real-world problems. We are thrilled to have Dr. Nestler on board to help share our future discoveries.” 

While serving in his residency, one of Nestler’s primary responsibilities will be creating a School of Medicine elective, “Medicine, Art and the Humanities,” which will launch in spring 2019. The course will have a transdisciplinary approach, bringing together various arts principles and techniques, with the support of arts faculty members, to help bring new perspective to the medical student curriculum.

“We’ve seen lots of wonderful programs and projects grow out of partnerships between faculty from the School of Medicine and the School of the Arts,” said Peter F. Buckley, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine. “We are particularly enthusiastic about Dr. Nestler’s new role because he will be looking so broadly for new opportunities. From solutions to clinical problems to teaching medical students empathy, humanism and observation skills, or even building resiliency and fighting physician burnout, the intersection between arts and medicine has the potential to be life-changing.”

As physician-scientist-in-residence, Nestler, who holds joint appointments as professor in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pharmacology and Toxicology, will assist with projects in the Arts Research Institute, which serves faculty in their creative research and interdisciplinary practices across the university.