University Hospitals Receives $20,000 from Grammy Museum® Grant Program

Funds will provide support for research efforts into music therapy's impact on patients undergoing cancer surgery

The GRAMMY Museum^® Grant Program announced today that $200,000 in grants will be awarded to 16 recipients in the United States to help facilitate a range of research on a variety of subjects. University Hospitals (UH) will receive $20,000 to facilitate a study on music therapy and how it can aid in the treatment of pain for patients with pancreatic cancer who have undergone surgery.

UH Connor Whole Health (UH Connor) is part of University Hospitals health system based in Cleveland and the entity conducting the study. Over the past 10 years, UH Connor has provided thousands of music therapy sessions, both individualized and group, to hundreds of adults. UH Connor manages the largest health system-based music therapy program in the U.S. Board-certified music therapists collaborate with providers across the system to help patients and their families manage the physical and emotional toll of an illness or hospitalization. Additionally, UH Connor provides a diverse offering of whole health services, including acupuncture, chiropractic, and integrative medicine consults, that are centered on the patient's entire well-being. The goal of these services is to equip patients with the ability to take charge of their physical, mental, and spiritual health to live full and meaningful lives.

"Undergoing pancreatic surgery for cancer is incredibly painful for patients. We want to find out if these patients are willing to participate in music therapy, and if it helps their pain and improves their quality of life," said Samuel Rodgers-Melnick, a music therapist and integrative health research and data specialist with UH Connor. "We have completed similar studies for patients with sickle cell disease and have documented the success of music therapy to help ease their pain and anxiety. In this study, we seek to go beyond measuring effects on symptoms to understand whether we can observe changes in gene expression within patients' peripheral blood samples. This approach may lead to new understanding of mechanisms of action within music therapy."

"Connor Whole Health is one of the largest clinical programs across the country, and receiving this grant from the Grammy Museum Grant Program exemplifies our leadership and expertise in music therapy," said Jeffery Dusek, PhD, director of research at UH Connor. "This study is just one example of the broader impact UH Connor is making on the research front."

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