Grace Chi is one of the newest additions to the faculty at Harris College. Chi joined the Horned Frog family in August 2011 as an assistant professor of nursing, and couldn’t be more pleased with her experience thus far. “It’s a wonderful school with a very good environment,” an enthusiastic Chi said.

During her doctoral pursuit in nursing science at Texas Woman’s University, Chi spent five years at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston conducting research using Music Relaxation Video (MRV) —an alternative therapy to reduce pain and anxiety. Specifically, Chi used the MRV technique on female cancer patients undergoing brachytherapy treatment. According to Chi, the radiation treatment requires women to be isolated in a room bedridden for 48-72 hours straight, which often fosters feelings of anxiety from the physical pain of the experience and extended isolation.

Chi conducted the research using an experimental group and a control group, in which the latter does not receive MRV therapy. The women in the experimental group were shown videos with relaxing imagery along with soothing, restful, often orchestral music with a slow and constant rhythm. Chi witnessed notable differences between the pain and anxiety levels of the two groups. “Women who underwent [MRV] felt relaxed and pleasant, and appreciated what MRV did for them,” Chi confidently said.

When pressed for her reasoning behind conducting this particular research, Chi explained that music is proven to have relaxing effects, and thought that this group in particular could strongly benefit from this type of therapy. Chi’s dissertation for this study, Music Relaxation Video and Pain Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial for Women Receiving Intracavitary Brachytherapy for Gynecological Cancer, earned her the 2011 Research Dissertation Award from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, about which you can read at http://www.nursingsociety.org/Awards/international/Pages/GraceChu-Hui-LinChi.aspx.

Confident in the proven power of MRV therapy on anxiety level reduction, Chi has submitted a proposal to conduct a research study on college students by using MRV and biophysical measurements. Pending acceptance, Chi hopes to conduct the trial this fall.