BMED Lab

04/01/2026

🎵 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: chroma@rice.edu (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! 🎶👇

05/12/2025

Congratulations to our graduating senior research assistants on presenting their honors thesis projects! These projects, led by the students, reflect the hard work, dedication, and thought put into their research. We cannot wait to see what they accomplish in the next steps of their journeys!

05/05/2025

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.

04/21/2025

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! 🎉🎉

04/10/2025

We are excited to spread the word that Rice University has launched the Institute of Health Resilience and Innovation (IHRI), which will study the lifetime impacts of health stressors and develop targeted interventions to improve well-being across diverse populations! The institute is directed by our very own lab director Dr. Christopher Fagundes, along with deputy director Dr. Tony Brown and executive director Kristi English. The IHRI will lead the way for research examining the biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors that shape health and resilience, and we are truly excited to see the amazing work that comes from it!

Learn more about the institute here:

Rice University has launched the Institute of Health Resilience and Innovation.

04/01/2025

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!

12/27/2024

Happy Holidays from the BMED Lab! Check out these photos of our festivities, including our lab holiday party and an RA appreciation celebration!

12/18/2024

“Even though marriages can change dramatically when one spouse has dementia, feeling valued and understood can make a significant difference in a relationship.”

Check out this Rice News post, featuring graduate student Vincent Lai and BMED Lab Director Dr. Christopher Fagundes, where they discuss the critical role that marital relationships play in the mental and physical health of caregivers for spouses living with dementia!

The article is published at https://news.rice.edu/news/2024/supportive-marriages-key-caregiver-well-being-rice-study-reveals-vital-link-dementia

📸 kp yamu Jayanath at Pixabay

12/12/2024

Big smiles at Rice University's Commencement Ceremony! Congratulations to Dr. Lydia Wu-Chung on completing her graduate studies at Rice 🎓🎉

12/02/2024

Check out BMED Lab Director, Dr. Christopher Fagundes, in action at the recent Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting! 🎬

11/20/2024

Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Brice for receiving the Ruth L. Kirschstein NIH National Research Service Award fellowship (F32)! She is investigating the relationships between emotion regulation, psychological and physiological indicators of stress, and cognitive performance.

10/24/2024

Check out this new paper published in Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, first-authored by BMED graduate student Vincent Lai! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266649762400047X

In this study, among ADRD spousal caregivers, marital distress was linked to more depressive symptoms and higher inflammation. However, feeling cared for, understood, and appreciated by spouses may help offset these associations.

Congratulations to Vincent and co-authors on this awesome accomplishment! 🎉