Emmeline Edwards, Ph.D.
May 29, 2024

Music, dance, and the visual arts have long played key roles in human experience. They move us, lift our moods, challenge us to think, and help us communicate. And a growing body of research suggests that they may also help promote our physical and mental health.

Here at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), we have an ongoing interest in research on the arts and their potential benefits for health and wellness. In this post, I want to share information with you about three exciting developments in this field: a new book to add to your reading list, a research funding opportunity, and a challenge for the music and health research community.

 

Veterans value discussions with health care providers about natural products (NPs); however, the perception among some veterans that providers are biased against these products negatively affects patient-provider relationships, according to a new study by researchers from the San Francisco VA Health Care System and other collaborating institutions, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The findings of this study, which was funded by a collaborative agreement through the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the Office of Dietary Supplements, indicate that providers engaging in conversations about NPs with curiosity and respect can reinforce patient-provider relationships.

 

June 4, 2024, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ET; Virtual

This meeting is aligned with NCCIH’s mission to support research on the fundamental science, safety, and usefulness of complementary and integrative health approaches. Specifically, minor cannabinoids and terpenes from natural products are part of complementary interventions supported by NCCIH. The meeting is also aligned with NCCIH’s strategic goals of advancing understanding of natural product’s basic biological mechanisms of action and improving care for hard-to-manage symptoms, such as pain.

This meeting will be livestreamed through NIH VideoCast and available for viewing after the event. Prior to the event, NCCIH will send a link to those who register.

Register now.

 

June 10-11, 2024; Virtual

NCCIH is partnering with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to hold a 2-day workshop to stimulate discussion about and interest in researching ways to reduce and mitigate the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in people who have been exposed. Spanish-language interpretation will be provided for those who indicate the need. 

View the draft agenda and register.

 

June 28, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-12:05 p.m. ET; Virtual

This meeting will provide opportunities to share advances across three National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded force-based manipulation research networks, promote collaboration, and avoid duplication of network efforts. The meeting’s open session will featured updates from the trans-network scientific working groups and a keynote presentation by Valeria Vásquez, Ph.D., associate professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. 

Register now.