Robert W. Keane has always had a deep appreciation for art, which began in childhood. While attending parochial school, he won a drawing contest organized by the nuns, earning him free art classes as a reward.

Though his love for art remained strong, Keane ultimately pursued a career in science. He earned a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of California, Davis, then completed postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Today Keane is a professor of physiology and biophysics with joint appointments in neurological surgery and microbiology and immunology at the Miller School. His research focuses on the brain’s innate immune system—the body’s first line of defense against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. He is also co-founder of InflamaCORE, LLC, a company that develops a drug to treat various inflammatory conditions.

Three years ago, after moving into a new laboratory at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, Keane hung one of his paintings in a hallway. His colleagues, along with the program director, an art enthusiast, took notice and encouraged Keane to display more.