2021 Award Winner
Ana Zão, MD, MSc
"Pain and Disability among Musicians during a Music Masterclass, and its Impact in Musicians' Performance"
Medical Doctor and Pianist.
Founderand Director of the International Center for Arts Medicine, CUF Porto Institute (the first center in Portugal dedicated to musicians, dancers and other performing artists).
Founder and Coordinator of the Music Medicine Unit at Hospital de Guimarães.
Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine specialist, competency in Pain Medicine, and specialization in Sports Medicine, in Interventional Physiatry and in Performing Arts Medicine.
Hospitalar Assistant at Hospital de Guimarães (Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Pain Unit, and Music Medicine Unit).
Responsible for the interventional physiatry consultation at Instituto CUF Porto.
Researcher at Center for Health Technology and Services Research – CINTESIS and PhD student in Clinical and Health Services Research at Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. She has focused her research in Musicians’ Medicine, particularly in pain and functional disability among musicians, in colaboration with the Institute for Music Physiology and Musician’s Medicine (Hanover, Alemanha).
Invited teacher at Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto at post-graduated level (responsable for courses in the field of myofascial pain and other pain syndromes, sports medicine, postural evaluation and reeducation, and temporomandibular disorders in athlets and artists). Invited teacher at Conservatory of Guimarães (responsable for 2 new courses: Musicians’ Medicine and Music Physiology and Medicine).
Member of the Performing Arts Medicine Association Young Professionals Committee.
Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (academic recognition at the end of the Master in Medicine) and granted with the APED scholarship by the Portuguese Association for Studies of Pain.
Professional pianist. Studied at Conservatory of Music Calouste Gulbenkian and School of Music and Performing Arts (ESMAE). Completed Piano studies with the highest graduation classification and was awarded with the Prize of Artistic Merit. Participate regularly in international masterclasses and festivals and has performed as soloist, in chamber music and solo with orchestra in renowned concert halls such as Casa da música, Theatro Circo and Polonia House. Worked with Fausto Neves, António Rosado, Nami Ejiri, Aldo Ciccolini, Luiz de Moura Castro and other prestigious pianists. Founder of the duet Mezzo Piano (piano four hands) and the quartet Medivoce, with which she recently recorded a CD.
Past Winners
This prestigious award was originally known as the Young Investigator Award; the name was changed in 1994 to the Alice G. Brandfonbrener Young Investigator Award.
2020 - Anna Détári, MA, MSc(Hons), BA(Hons), PhD Candidate: "Non-motor Symptoms in Musician’s Focal Dystonia – Types, Prevalence, and Treatment"
2019 - Chelsea Shanoff, BMus, MM: "Playing-Related Injuries and Posture Among Saxophonists"
2018 - Dirk Möller, Dipl Sportwiss, PT: "The Potential Relevance of Altered Muscle Activity and Fatigue in the Development of Performance-related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Upper Musicians"
2017 - Vera Baadjou, MD: "Playing the Clarinet: Influence of Body Posture on Muscle Activity and Sound Quality"
2016 - J. Matt McCrary, BS, BFA: "Effects of Physical Symptoms on Muscle Activity Levels in Skilled Violinists"
2015 - {No Award}
2014 - Cliffton Chan, BSPT, GDMusic PhD: "The Effect of a Musicians’ Exercise Intervention on Performance-related Musculoskeletal Disorders"
2013 - Melissa Hatheway, Music Education undergraduate: "Epidemiologic Survey of College Student-Musicians Participating in Marching Band"
2012 - Dale Rickert, Bmus: "A Study of Right Shoulder Injury in Collegiate and Professional Orchestral Cellists: An Investigation Using Questionnaires and Physical Assessment"
2011 - Christine A. Guptill, BMus, MS(OT), PhD: "The Lived Experience of Professional Musicians with Playing-Related Injuries"
2010 - Sonia Ranelli, BSc: "Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Problems in Children Learning Instrumental Music – The Association Between Problem Location and Gender, Age and Music Exposure Factors"
2009 – {No award]
2008 – Michiko Yoshie, MS, et al: “Effects of Performance Evaluation on State anxiety, Electromyographic Activity, and Performance Quality in Pianists”
2007 – Antonio M. Abréu-Ramos, MD: “Lifetime Prevalence of Upper Body Musculoskeletal Problems in a Professional-Level Symphony Orchestra: Age, Gender, and Instrument-Specific Results”
2006 – Anke Steinmetz, Dr.Med: “Craniomandibular Dysfunction and Violin Playing: Prevalence and the Influence of Oral Splints on Head and Neck Muscles in Violinists”
2005 – [No award]
2004 – Douglas Owens, DA: “Sound Pressure Levels Experienced by the High School Band Director”
2003 – Staci Renee Miller, BM, MM: “The Multi-dimensional Anxiety Theory”
2002 – Karendra Devroop, PhD: “Comparisonof Biomechanical Forces Generated During Trumpet Performance in Contrasting Settings”
2001 – Anthony Luke, MD, MPH, CCFP; Susan Kinney, PT; Pierre D’Hemecourt, MD; et al: “Determinants of Injuries inYoung Dancers”
2000 – Margaret A. Barnes, MA: “Knee Rotation in Classical Dancers During the Grand Plié”
1999 – Patrick Wenning, MPT; Dennis O’Connell, PhD, PT: “Plantar Stresses Induced by Inclined Surfaces While Standing: A Pilot Study”
1998 – Charlene Ryan, MMus: “Exploring Musical Performance Anxiety in Children”
1997 – Marla A.O. Okner, MM: “Chin Rest Pressure in Violin Playing: Musical Repertoire, Chin Rests, and Shoulder Pads as Possible Mediators”
1996 – Kara Lisa Hagglund, MM, OT: “A Comparison of the Physical and Mental Practices of Music Students from the New England Conservatory and Boston University Music School”
1995 – David Shoup, DO: “Survey of Performance Related Problems Among High School and Junior High School Musicians”
1994 – Warren Brodsky, MCAT; John A.Sloboda, PhD; Mitchell Waterman, BSc: “An Exploratory Investigation into AuditoryStyle as a Correlate and Predictor of Music Performance Anxiety”
1993 – Jan Henderson, MD, OTR; Scott E. Brown, MD; Steve Price, BS; Nancy Darr, MS, PT: “Foot Pressures During a Common Ballet Jump Standing & Supine”
1992 – Charles E. Levy, MD: “ElectromyographicAnalysis of Muscular Activity in the Upper Extremity Generated by Supporting a Violin With and Without a Shoulder Rest”
1991 – In-Seol Chung, MD; Jaiyoung Ryu, MD; Nobuki Ohnishi, MD; Bruce Rowen, BS; Kristine Glass, BA; Jeff Headrich: “Wrist Motion Analysis in Pianists”