Institution structure (MHRI) | Research and innovation

Health practitioner and violin student — Research and innovation

Music and Health Research Institute

Institution structure

Research framework
Research axis
Specific research areas
Research initiatives

The vision of the Institute is to explore the interactions between music and health, and to develop solutions that can improve well-being for individuals and communities.

Governance

Committees and working groups

The director and associate director work closely with the members of the steering committee, the team leaders of four working groups representing each branch of the Institute: communications, knowledge implementation, training and mentoring, and partnerships. They also coordinate with committees of various initiatives.

This committee provides and implements the scientific and collaborative vision and mission of the Institute. The committee sets the strategic goals and priorities for achieving and maintaining a competitive position on the national and international stage. The Steering Committee is comprised of the Director, the Associate Director, Group Liaison Committee Leader, the Team Leaders, and representatives from some of our major research initiatives and major partner organizations. The members of the Steering Committee also participate, in various ways, in the planning and execution of the Institute activities.

Members of the Steering Committee:

Director of the Institute: Gilles Comeau
Associate Director of the Institute: Anna Zumbansen
Team leader, Working groups liaison: Erin Parkes
Team leader, Communications: Nicole Stanson
Team leader, Implementation: Carol Wiebe
Team leader, Training and mentoring: Jillian Beacon
Team leader, Partnerships: Stuart Fogel
Representative of Carleton University: Jesse Stewart
Representative of Vancouver based music research groups: Rena Sharon
Representative of Montreal based music research centers:Caroline Traube
Representative of the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education: Erin Parkes
Representative of the Bruyère Research Institute: Heidi Sveistrup
Representative of the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal: Tammy Beaudoin

This committee makes recommendations on matters pertaining to the strategic directions of the Institute. As members of local, national, and international communities, these members are in an excellent position to offer advice on the Institute’s areas of research, as well as on possible new directions of inquiry that correspond to the vision and mission of the Institute.

Members of the Scientific Advisory Committee:

Gilles Comeau (Chair)
Anna Zumbansen (Co-chair)
Florence Dzierszinski
Rafik Goubran
Martine Legacé
Ruth Slack
Lucie Thibault
Laurel Trainor

This committee plays an active role in facilitating liaison building connections to foster new and existing partnerships. They help with fundraising efforts, create media coverage opportunities, and expand public visibility.

Members of the outreach advisory committee:

Gilles Comeau (Chair)
Anna Zumbansen (Co-chair)
Serge Blais
Natasha Harwood
Barbara Laskin

This committee is composed of community members with lived experience in communities identified by the Institute as target populations for research and implementation interventions. This committee will provide insight and advice on the experiences of people with disabilities, mental health challenges, physical health conditions, and their caregivers. This insight will inform research methodologies, implementation of community programs, training and mentoring priorities, and may provide ideas for new lines of inquiry.

Representatives from each of the working groups will form the Working Group Liaison Committee. The purpose of the committee is to facilitate communication between working groups regarding new or ongoing projects, collaborations, or events. Representatives will be selected by their respective working groups. The committee will meet on a regular basis.

This working group implements the communication and marketing plan to ensure the dissemination of research outcomes to scholars, graduate students, community organizations, end-users and general public. It provides leadership on the planning of activities such as conferences, colloquia, workshops, public events, social media, and other forms of research dissemination adapted to different groups of knowledge users. This working group supports the organization of activities with the goal of providing research-based knowledge to the public.

This working group provides leadership on the creation of new training programs, the design of workshops for students, and the implementation of mentoring programs. Through interdisciplinary approaches, It enhances practical experiences for students and professional development opportunities, such as micro-programs and certifications, and establishes mechanisms to adapt these programs to the needs and conditions of students and researchers belonging to underrepresented groups.

The Partnership & Engagement Committee is the main liaison with key stakeholders, community organizations and end-users. It provides leadership on the establishment of new partnerships and the expansion of existing ones. A key priority is to enhance collaborative initiatives with community organizations, hospitals and health care providers, and researchers in alignment with the research priorities of the Institute. We will do this from a place of awareness of international trends in the sectors we work in, understanding who is out in the world doing this work, as well as what research is being done.

The goals of the working group on social prescribing include developing a theoretical framework for evaluating music on prescription and playing a leadership role in the design, advocacy and promotion of music on prescription. It has a focus on building partnerships with key stakeholders involved in music on prescription including potential and actual users; healthcare providers; educators and students; musicians; and policy makers.

Institution structure

Governance

Committees and working groups

Steering Committee arrow_drop_down

Scientific Advisory Committee arrow_drop_down

Outreach advisory committee arrow_drop_down

Community advisory committee arrow_drop_down

Working group liaison committee arrow_drop_down

Communications arrow_drop_down

Training and mentoring arrow_drop_down

Partnership and engagement arrow_drop_down

Music on Prescription arrow_drop_down