BMED Lab

🎵 Make Music, Meet New People, and Boost Your Brain Health! 🧠

Our lab at Rice University is seeking adults age 70 and older to participate in Project CHROMA (Cognitive Health Research on Musical Arts), a research study exploring how musical creativity can help preserve brain health!
In our 6-week, in-person group class, you'll explore music composition, improvisation, and storytelling in a fun, collaborative environment to enhance cognitive flexibility and social connection.

🚫 NO musical background or instrument experience is required! The focus is entirely on exploring new ideas, not learning classical music or how to play an instrument. Just bring an open mind!

📍 Where & When:
• Location: Rice University campus (Complimentary parking validation provided!)
• Dates: April 13 – May 22, 2026
• Schedule: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

✅ Who Can Participate?
• Adults age 70+ who are proficient in English.
• Individuals with reliable transportation to Rice University.
• Those without a diagnosis of dementia, major neurological/psychiatric conditions, or severe uncorrected hearing/vision loss. (Note: Mild Cognitive Impairment is okay!)

💡 Compensation: Participants can earn up to $50 total for completing two study visits ($25 before the classes begin, and $25 after), plus free parking for all classes and visits.

📞 Interested in joining or learning more? Please see the attached flyers for more details, and reach out to our team:
• Call: 713-348-8126 (Please mention "Project CHROMA" or "the music study." Leave a voicemail if we miss you, and we will call you right back!)
• Email: [email protected] (Please include your phone number and let us know the best time to call you.)
Please feel free to share this post with friends or family who might be interested! 🎶👇

Congratulations to Project REACH at the Rice University Institute of Health Resilience and Innovation for holding a successful PAC meeting to support the study looking to explore the experiences of caregivers for spouses living with dementia! Our study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is actively in the recruitment and data collection process. We aim to highlight the cultural and community contexts that shape the caregiving experience and to inform interventions that can effectively support caregivers.

Congratulations to the amazing students from the BMED Lab who presented their research at the 2025 Social Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium last week at the Rice University School of Social Sciences! The symposium featured student posters and oral presentations and marked an important milestone for all participants. We are so proud of everyone's hard work and dedication! 🎉🎉

Check out the BMED Lab in action at the recent conference! Our symposium, titled "Risk and Resilience in Dementia Spousal Caregiver Health and Well-Being," began with opening remarks by lab director Dr. Chris Fagundes and featured research presentations from Daniel Argueta, Dr. Kelly Brice, Vincent Lai, and Valentina Maza.

Thank you to everyone who attended our session, especially current and past BMED lab members!