The Art of Scientific Curiosity
Susanne Schaffert, PhD
Scientist and visionary C-Suite executive, board member, 25 years of experience in Pharmaceuticals/Oncology, former President Novartis Oncology
Our school systems separate science and the arts as if they can’t exist in the same space. I believe this is a mistake: art fosters curiosity, and science can bring inspiration to art. Highlighting the synergy between art and science is core to our theme at this year’s ESMO (European Society For Medical Oncology) virtual congress. The marriage of art and science is an idea that is so important to me; it’s part of who I am - when I was studying for my PhD, I was also teaching dance, and the two together made me a more rounded, curious person.
The wonderful illustration that accompanies this article is by Spanish illustrator, Sara Herranz. It draws attention to the creativity and innovation needed for the bold science that is required to help patients live longer and better lives. Sara’s inspiration was Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, and shares her interpretation through the lens of a microscope. The fluid lines capture the movement of dance and illustrate their connectivity with science, creating something unique.
Sara is one of several artists who are contributing to My Time Our Time. My Time Our Time brings artists from across Europe together to combine art and activism into what we call Artivism. Through this creative combination, launched at ESMO last year, we hope to shine a light on the importance of time for women living with advanced breast cancer: time to be with loved ones, time to be present, and time for living.
Sara’s black and white illustrations are simple scenes of everyday moments of women living with cancer. And what makes them even more special is that they are marked by bursts of vivid violet flowers. These flowers symbolize rebirth, mark women’s journeys, and highlight their stories.
How graffiti is peeling back the layers in Melanoma Revealed
The work of UK graffiti artist INSA has also captured my attention. He has designed a bespoke piece to illustrate melanoma and its progression. When we peel back the layers of his Melanoma Revealed, we can see that it tells a story where the four sections equate to the four stages of melanoma. His bold use of a pulsating, concentric circle, which outlines the circles that represent the four stages of the disease, adds a striking sense of urgency and drama to his work.
I’m looking forward to seeing Sara and INSA’s work at ESMO20. It promises to be a unique event and an opportunity for those of us passionate about reimagining medicine and for those impacted by cancer to learn from one another, engage our curiosity, and take bold steps towards building a better future for patients.
Enjoying strategic innovation and growth, now in life sciences
4 å¹´I see art and science intrinsically combined in a lot of fields. They need one to each other. Only creativity and art can breakthrough established conventions and move things forward, and only science can prove that it works or not. If we are not creative enough, science can not deliver.
Gründerin und Leiterin der Pestalozzi Schulcamps
4 å¹´we from www.pestalozzischulcamps.ch combine science with arts! and Novartis is involved in the follow-up-program.
AVP | Executive | Partnership Cultivator of Growth & Key Relationships | Board Director | Champion of Joy
4 å¹´Thanks for sharing Susanne Schaffert, PhD and Rhonda Mims. I agree
Chief People Officer, GE Vernova
4 å¹´Very inspiring and a great illustration of the power of diverse perspectives! I continue to be inspired by what people can achieve when they are driven by a purpose, curious to learn and empowered to experiment.??Thanks for sharing Susanne.
SVP. R&D Digital & Tech
4 å¹´Nice article. I would add music to the list of unleashing creativity. Music, a study of vibrations to sound as I see is based on mathematics and confirmed by many scholars/researchers. I myself as a technologist with foundation of mathematics, I think of math as music?for the intellect. As a young sitar player, I thought of all the patterns that I could create with a mere set of strings. A good read around this topic and unleashing creativity is a book written by David Epstein, Range.