In this episode of Art &, we speak with artist, storyteller, and Stanford alum Janani Balasubramanian and Dr. Karleen Giannitrapani, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford Medicine, whose research focuses on palliative care, serious illness, and supporting people through major life transitions. Together, they discuss the origins of Forever Lab, a new initiative at Stanford Medicine that brings artists, scientists, technologists, and caregivers together to address some of life's most profound transitions.

Born from a chance encounter during Janani's Denning Visiting Artist residency, Forever Lab explores how artistic practice can contribute to healthcare innovation, creating new interventions, experiences, and systems that support people through moments of vulnerability. Janani and Karleen discuss building interdisciplinary collaborations, why caregiving is a creative act, and how beauty can help reshape the future of healthcare interventions. Along the way, they reflect on the value of discomfort, the power of "curating" people across disciplines, and what becomes possible when artists are invited to participate in solving society's most complex challenges.

Featured Guests: Janani Balasubramanian & Dr. Karleen Giannitrapani

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To learn more about Forever Lab: https://www.foreverlab.org/

Host: Ellen Oh
Creator / Producer / Editor: Taylor Jones
Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Chase Everett
Theme Song & Music: Juana Izuzquiza
Executive Producers: Ellen Oh and Anne Shulock
Artwork: Connie Ko