Call For Proposals
Interdisciplinary Society for Quantitative Research in Music and Medicine
CONFERENCE THEME:
Exploring the transformative power of traditional and contemporary
applications of music and sound in health promotion, disease prevention, and
therapeutic intervention.
Conference Dates: June 12–13, 2027
Venue: Berklee College of Music
Address: 1140 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
The purpose of the conference is to explore questions and techniques regarding the efficacy of music
and health.
Conference Co-Chairs
Dr. David Akombo; Dr. Kent Nelson; Adina Dabija, Dipl.O.M., Juliana Azoubel PhD; Dr. Steven Cornelius; Dr. Perry Fine M.D.
Submission
ISQRMM invites proposals that examine the full spectrum of relationships between music and medicine.
Submissions should be situated within an interdisciplinary research framework and may engage, but are
not limited to, the following areas:
music and memory
music and the brain
music and anxiety
music and pain
music and stroke
music and aphasia
music and oncology
music and palliation
music and neuroscience
music and personality disorders
music and well-being
music and emotion
music and thanatology
music therapy
music in medicine
music and special education
music and the mind
music, religion, and healing
music and altered states of consciousness (trance)
music and ophthalmology
music and dietetics
music and other allied health professions
In addition to quantitative and qualitative research, papers employing cultural and ethnographic
approaches, social science perspectives, and emerging methodologies—including practice-based and
lived-experience research—will also be considered. Graduate students are encouraged to submit. 200
word- abstracts in including the authors’ names, affiliations, contact information, and preferred
presentation format: 30-minute oral paper, 50-minute panel discussion, 50-minute experiential
workshop, or poster should be sent to contact@isqrmm.com. The submission deadline is January 31,
2027. Full papers will be considered for publication in the forthcoming peer reviewed Journal of the
Interdisciplinary Society for Quantitative Research in Music and Medicine. Send inquiries to
contact@isqrmm.com
Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, is Director of the Department of Music Therapy and Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a founding member of the International Association for Music and Medicine. An internationally recognized researcher and clinician, she leads federally funded studies and the AMEND lab exploring music therapy’s impact on pain, stress, mental health, and respiratory care across diverse populations.
Dr. Joy Allen, Ph.D., MT-BC, is an accomplished clinician, researcher, and educator with extensive experience in psychological health, pain management, and trauma-informed education and supervision. She has presented on her work at several peer-reviewed conferences, including regional, national and international music therapy and music- and health-related conferences. She is the editor of Guidelines for Music Therapy: Adult Medical Care, and author of chapters on adult oncology, pain management, and medical music therapy. Allen regular consults with community and higher education leaders on music therapy programs and curriculum development. She continues to serve in numerous capacities for the American Music Therapy Association, including as the executive board chair for the New England region, as well as serving on the Research Committee, Assembly of Delegates, and the Judicial Review Board. Lastly, she has served as a reviewer for the following journals: Nordic Journal of Music Therapy; Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy; and Music and Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
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