We believe the most important stories are often the ones told in unexpected spaces.

This week, that space is the intersection of science, art, and public trust. At Penn’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics—ITMAT—researchers are pushing life-saving discoveries forward. But they’re also asking a radical question: How do we make medical science understandable, relatable, and accountable to the people it’s meant to serve?

Through ITMAT’s Artist-in-Residence program, ceramicist Marguerite Hagan works alongside scientists, using storytelling, clay, and the metaphor of the “shield” to help young researchers rethink how they communicate with communities. She’s joined by Dr. Carsten Skarke, the physician-scientist who created the program to break down the barriers between labs and real life.

This is a conversation about trust, storytelling, and why science needs art more than ever.