Gilles Comeau giving a lecture at the MHRI conference

Details

Building on the national success of the first two annual conferences, the Music and Health Research Institute (MHRI) is opening its next annual conference in 2025 to proposals for oral presentations and posters as well as round tables and workshops highlighting research and outstanding practices at the intersection of music and health.

The Institute's annual conferences are national multidisciplinary initiatives that bring together leading researchers, students and practitioners in the fields of music, education, neuroscience, psychology, social sciences, health sciences and medicine, as well as people with lived experience. The aim is to explore how different disciplines and partners can work together to shape this emerging field, encourage a wider audience to take an interest in this research, and create new long-term links with stakeholders to promote collaborative working. By creating a rich environment that combines science and art, theory and practice, the MHRI annual conferences have acted as a catalyst for the development of robust research in music, health and well-being.

Key dates:
October 28, 2024 – Call for submissions
January 15, 2025 – Deadline for submissions 
February 15, 2025 – Notification of acceptance

Call for Abstracts
We invite you to submit proposals for oral or poster papers, workshops and roundtables covering a wide range of topics in the following research themes:

  • Therapeutic impact of music - Developing innovative clinical practices.
  • Music, brain and the mind - Understanding the impact of music on sensory, cognitive, physical and mental health conditions
  • Music learning and teaching - Developing innovative learning and teaching practices. 
  • Music, health, culture and society - Making music accessible: fostering equity, diversity and inclusion through music. 
  • Musicians’ health and wellness - Enhancing musicians’ mental and physical health and well-being.

The conference facilities include a 160-seat auditorium, as well as two modular conference rooms and a large gymnasium for workshops requiring more space. Electric pianos are available upon request.

To submit a proposal, please read and adhere to the submission guidelines below and submit via the online submission portal.  

Submission Guidelines

  • You will be asked to provide the following information:
    • Submitting presenter: Your contact name, affiliation/institution name and email address
    • Title of the submission (max 255 characters).  Please use sentence case only for the title (capitalize the first letter of the title and lower case for all other letters unless required) and do not include a period (.) at the end of the title.
    • Desired presentation format(s)
      • Poster 
      • Oral (20 minutes)
      • Workshop (60 minutes). Please specify space and equipment required.
      • Round table (60 minutes). Please specify space and equipment required.
    • A structured abstract of 200-300 words.
    • Name of each of the presenter(s). Please specify affiliation/institution name and/or expertise as a person with lived experience.
    • The name and email address of the corresponding presenter.
    • Submission theme(s) that best matches your research (choose one)
  • The submitting presenter will be asked to confirm that all co-presenters are aware of the content of the abstract and agree to its submission as submitted; that all presenters consent to publication of the submitted abstract related to the MHRI 2025 conference (e.g., on website, program materials, etc.); and that all presenters consent to the publication of the abstract in a scientific journal (if publication of the abstracts is approved). 
  • All abstracts must be submitted and presented in English.

Please note:

  • Conference registration is mandatory for all presenters. The registration fee is $200 (Student rate: 170$). It includes administrative fees, coffee breaks, snacks and lunches.  
  • Presenters must become members of the Institute for participation (no charge). 
  • Presenters (with the exception of keynote speakers) will not be remunerated.


Click here to submit an abstract
If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
 

Date and time
May 13, 2025 to May 16, 2025
All day
Format and location
In person
Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, 1145 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4
Language
English
Audience
Researchers, Other healthcare professionals, General public, Students
Organized by
MHRI