Elizabeth (Lizzie) Pearson ’25 (Bachelor of Music Therapy) recently conducted research at McGill University in Canada as a member of the Roy Pain Lab, working under the mentorship of Dr. Mathieu Roy. Their work focused on the neurological mechanisms of pain and the role of music in supporting individuals experiencing chronic pain.

“I have been loving my time doing research in the Roy Pain Lab at McGill University,” said Pearson. “Dr. Mathieu Roy is a fantastic supervisor and it’s been so fun getting to connect my clinical practice and theory knowledge with clinical research.”

During their time in the lab, Pearson contributed to a study examining the effects of music during routine ketamine infusions for chronic pain patients and developed their own research project comparing the impact of live versus pre-recorded music in stimulated-pain conditions. They also collaborated across four research labs, participated in data collection for multiple studies and gained experience in neuroimaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Pearson presented their research at several conferences, including the Québec Pain Research Network (QPRN) conference, and served as a resource for peers interested in music therapy. In addition, they earned certification in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) through the Toronto Institute of Music Therapy.

“I am so grateful for the Music4Pain Network and Dr. Joke Bradt for funding my research experience in Montréal, and for Shenandoah Conservatory for supporting my journey,” added Pearson.

Pearson is an undergraduate research fellow with the Music4Pain Network and is the first undergraduate music therapy student in the United States to be selected for this fellowship.