.jpg)
Music Therapist
Spectrum Health
I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
My research experiences, including development of protocols, interdisciplinary teamwork, leadership as primary investigator, and acceptance for professional conferences and publications provide me with the skills necessary to carry out this project. During the past ten years with Spectrum Health, I have designed and collaborated with team members on several research studies investigating music therapy interventions for neuro rehabilitation. After coordinating a pilot study collaboration with Temple University investigating a standardized musical assessment tool for Disorders of Consciousness, I was asked to collaborate as an investigator on an international study on this topic (data collection currently underway.) My research contributions have examined Neurologic Music Therapy interventions for stroke rehabilitation, brain injury rehabilitation, and emerging awareness in Disorders of Consciousness. Additionally, I am currently an investigator on a Spectrum Health Cancer Center study, investigating the use of music therapy groups and guided relaxation techniques on side-effects of Tamoxifen in breast cancer patients. I also developed the first music therapy program within Spectrum Health (in neuro rehabilitation), and later developed growth of the program to Spectrum Health Cancer Center. I worked with the Grand Rapids Symphony to develop the first partnership between our entities, which has been funded from 2013-2017.
