World First Dementia Research

Manchester Camerata appoints PhD student to conduct Dementia research

Manchester Camerata has announced the appointment of Robyn Dowlen, a PhD student who will be developing an ‘in the moment’ multi-sensory music assessment tool to pilot with people living with dementia resident in care home settings.

The PhD will form a key element of an on-going collaboration between the University of Manchester, Lancaster University and CASE study partner Manchester Camerata, which has been exploring the benefits of creative interventions for people living with dementia.  Manchester Camerata’s ‘Music in Mind’ sessions have given the research team at the University of Manchester the opportunity to see and report at first-hand, the impact that music has on people with dementia as they live their lives in residential care settings.

Professor John Keady, lead Dementia and Ageing Research Team at The University of Manchester said ‘In many ways we are at the very start of a new field of study and we are privileged to have Manchester Camerata as the CASE partner [2015-2018] in a 3-year ESRC CASE funded PhD study that is due to start in October 2015. Working between Manchester Camerata, The University of Manchester and Lancaster University, this PhD will develop an ‘in the moment’ multi-sensory assessment tool that is built first and foremost from the musicianship of Manchester Camerata as it transforms the lives of people with dementia. It will be the first assessment tool of its type in the world.’