Music Therapy Research Presented at NIH

AMTA and the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH/NCI/OCCAM) Convene Historic Meeting

It was the first face to face meeting, initiated and hosted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where music therapists informed NIH, Government, and Military officials about important music therapy research and evidence-based practice. 

The meeting/seminar was titled “Music Therapy Research in Oncology: Therapeutic Outcomes, Mechanisms, and Directions for Future Research,” and the room was overflowing with representatives from many NIH Institutes, the National Endowment for the Arts, the VA, active Military and over 20 Music Therapists and students.  Presentations featured Sheri Robb, PhD, MT-BC and Debra Burns, PhD, MT-BC, speaking about their music therapy research in oncology and AMTA representative Barbara A. Else, MPA, LCAT, MT-BC who spoke on the expanding portfolio of research in music therapy in general.  AMTA Executive Director Dr. Andrea Farbman and Dr. Avi Rasooly from NIH moderated the closing discussion exploring new areas of research, expectations from the NIH community and next steps in research and collaboration. 

Dr. Farbman and the AMTA team kept the discussion focused on music therapy research and advancing the profession.  Dr. Robb said it best, “– it was really a highly memorable experience and we look forward to seeing what unfolds as a result of the meeting, which we hope will lead to some wonderful new opportunities and relationships.”

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