Iain Forrest, PhD, uses the stage name “Eyeglasses,” which refers to a favorite piece of music by Beethoven called “Eyeglasses Duet.” The name also refers to his love of ophthalmology to restore lost eyesight to patients, as well as a nod to his fans who say his music gives them much-needed clarity and joy in an otherwise hectic world. Photo: Derek Srisaranard
Iain Forrest, PhD, is an MD-PhD student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He has been studying medicine since 2018. But he has been practicing healing since he was 10. That’s when his music teacher wheeled a cart into his fourth-grade classroom and asked every student to pick an instrument.
This was his introduction to the cello. He only had to draw the bow along those four strings for a few moments and hear that low rich bass sound resonate to know he had discovered something joyful and enduring. He would later study with a private teacher in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where he grew up. He played first-chair cellist with the Maryland All-State Orchestra and the University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra and won several competitions. This foundation allowed him to start playing modern music on the cello, including hit pop songs and famous movie soundtracks that delighted audiences at restaurants, weddings, and on city streets.
His two loves—music and medicine—came together when he was attending the University of Maryland.
“I started performing music for patients in the hospital next to our university and saw how the music had the power to uplift them. And it made me realize I could help them even more through medicine. That’s how my love of music and medicine came together,” he says.
“My goal is to delve deeper, to unravel the mysteries of the human body and pioneer new avenues of discovery,” Dr. Forrest says.
In May, 2023, Dr. Forrest graduated from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where he studied genetics and artificial intelligence in medicine. He is on track to receive his MD degree from Icahn Mount Sinai in two years, completing an eight-year journey to become a physician-scientist.
“My goal is to delve deeper, to unravel the mysteries of the human body and pioneer new avenues of discovery,” he says. Working with a physician-scientist at the National Institutes of Health showed him there can sometimes be a gap between what happens at the research bench and at a patient’s bedside.
“It is my goal as a physician-scientist to bridge that divide and help not just a few patients each day in the clinic but potentially thousands of patients with transformative biomedical innovation, including genetics, ophthalmology, and artificial intelligence,” he says.
Meanwhile, Dr. Forrest continues with his music. He has performed at venues ranging from Radio City Music Hall to Yankee Stadium. One of his more unusual gigs is underground: He performs regularly in the NYC subways as part of the MTA’s Music Under New York program.
“My dream used to be a classical musician playing at Carnegie Hall and other concert halls, until I realized that you can find gems of music anywhere in New York, including a hospital room or even a subway station,” he says.
His commitment to performing in the subway continues despite a recent incident in which he was assaulted while performing at Times Square during rush hour. The police apprehended a suspect. But it took him more than a month to return to playing in the subway.
He credits Emergency Department nurses and physicians at Mount Sinai with caring for him and ensuring he didn’t have any lasting physical injuries, along with the personal support of Kenneth L. Davis, MD, CEO, Mount Sinai Health System; Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Icahn Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System; and David Muller, MD, Dean for Medical Education.
“It is my goal as a physician-scientist to bridge that divide and help not just a few patients each day in the clinic but potentially thousands of patients with transformative biomedical innovation, including genetics, ophthalmology, and artificial intelligence,” Dr. Forrest says.
And he experienced the power of music firsthand.
“Embracing my studies in the MD-PhD course gave me strength to heal,” he says. “Gradually, I picked up the cello and started playing again. First, in the privacy of my apartment, where I felt the music cathartically and was reminded of its power to heal both myself and others. Then at a Manhattan venue where my fans’ overwhelming support led to a sold-out show. Finally, I ventured back to the subway stations.”
For his next act, he’s working with the MTA on telling his story to share the wonder of music from a doctor’s point of view, and he is releasing his first album of original music expressing the many facets of his personal journey.