04/12/2025
Congratulations to Dr TrĂona McCaffrey, Associate Professor of Music Therapy at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance who has been announced as joint winner of the Presidents Research Excellence and Impact Early Career Researcher â Starting Award 2025.  TrĂonaâs research focuses on music for mental wellbeing, specifically in the areas of adult mental health and perinatal mental health. As Director of the UL âMusic for Parent and Infant Wellbeingâ TrĂona has led novel interdisciplinary research across music therapy, midwifery, psychiatry, and obstetrics with a strong emphasis on Public and Patient Involvement (PPI). She is also a member of the UL Participatory Health Research Unit at the Health Research Institute. TrĂona has carried out several research projects related to perinatal mental health, perinatal wellbeing, music listening for childbirth, songwriting for bonding in pregnancy, maternal singing in neonatal care, and is currently collaborating with Childrenâs Health Ireland at Temple Street on research that focuses on a current family-centred music therapy in neonatal care. Her pioneering collaborations with University Maternity Hospital Limerick has led to the first music therapy programme in specialist perinatal mental health services in Ireland, a programme that has been commended by the Department of Health.
