Kendra Ray, BS, MPH, PhD

CIRAD

Assistant Professor
New York University Langone Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Dr. Ray is a Research Assistant Professor at the New York University Langone Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Dementia Program Director at Menorah Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. Her research area includes the use of music therapy and music activities for people with dementia, depression, agitation or other neurological disorders. Additionally, she has led research projects that measure the efficacy of music-based activities facilitated by certified nursing assistants and home health aides for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias including HIV-associated dementia. Her CIRAD/RCMAR pilot project aims to assess the feasibility and usability of “TuneMind,” a music-based mobile app, in alleviating agitation and enhancing mood among nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) in an underserved community. This will address barriers such as insufficient Medicaid coverage for music therapy, which limits access to music-based interventions, particularly in underprivileged nursing homes. She anticipates that the outcomes of this study will contribute to reducing health disparities among Black individuals with ADRD.