Dr. Nisha Sajnani

Nisha Sajnani, PhD is an Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Drama Therapy at NYU Steinhardt, founding director of the Arts and Health at NYU, and a co-founding co-director of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, established in collaboration with the World Health Organization to measurably improve lives through the arts. Dr. Sajnani leads an international network of researchers focused on advancing understanding of the mechanisms and outcomes of arts participation in clinical and public health alongside policy development. Her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, NPR, the Lancet, and numerous leading academic journals. An award winning author, artist, educator, and advocate, her body of work explores the unique ways in which aesthetic experience can inspire equity, care, and collective human flourishing across the lifespan.

About the Jameel Arts & Health Lab: Launched in January 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, the Steinhardt School at New York University, Community Jameel, and Culturunners, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab is a global initiative to measurably improve health and wellbeing through the arts. With a focus on overlooked and underserved communities, the Lab leverages scientific evidence, artist-led advocacy, and capacity building to drive the integration of the arts into mainstream healthcare. jameelartshealthlab.org