Free, open to the public, and presented during Grand Rounds, Laura Mann Lectures are designed to engage multiple populations and increase our understanding of how an equitable, whole-person approach to healthcare can optimize the health of individuals, communities, and our planet.

2024-2025 Laura Mann Lecture Series

From Rock n' Roll to Lullabies: Medical Music Therapy Supporting Whole-Person Care at UVM Children's Hospital

Maggie Connors, MT-BC, Music Therapist, Maple Tree Music Therapy, Medical Music Consultant, UVM Children’s Hospital
Danica Cunningham, MT-BC, Music Therapist, As You Are Studio, Medical Music Consultant, UVM Children’s Hospital

Osher Affiliates Maggie Connors, MT-BC, and Danica Cunningham, MT-BC, sharing research and perspective on the transformative impact of their clinical work on patients, caregivers, families, staff, and more. Featuring an introduction by Lewis First, MD, MSc.

Free, open to the public, and presented during Pediatric Grand Rounds, this session has been approved for 1 CME credit. (February 26, 2025)

The Role of Medicine in Planetary Health

Jonathan Patz, M.D., MPH  

Jonathan Patz, M.D., MPH, is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and the John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment with appointments in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Patz served as the Inaugural Director of UW’s Global Health Institute and continues to direct the Planetary Health Scholars Program. 

For 15 years, Patz served as a lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—the organization that was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He also served as Health Co-Chair for the first US National Climate Assessment and in 2019, was elected into the U.S. National Academy of Medicine for his pioneering research on climate change and human health. (Recorded Jan. 6, 2025)

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE): Clinical Outcomes and Neurophysiological Mechanisms of an Evidence-Based Therapy for Addiction and Chronic Pain

Eric Garland, PhD, LCSW

MORE integrates complementary aspects of mindfulness training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and principles from positive psychology into a structured treatment designed to restructure brain reward system function. MORE has been shown to reduce opioid misuse by 45%, nearly tripling the effect of standard supportive group therapy, while enhancing neurophysiological mechanisms integral to self-control and responsiveness to natural, healthy rewards. Dr. Eric Garland presents the clinical approach and research evidence behind Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a neuroscience-informed, evidence-based treatment tested in over 13 randomized clinical trials funded by more than $70 million in federal research grants. Garland describes how MORE simultaneously targets addictive behavior, emotion dysregulation, and chronic pain. 

This session has been approved for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 credit and 1 CE credit (CEA-000547-1).

Eric Garland, PhD, LCSW, is the Distinguished Endowed Chair in Research, Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research, University of Utah College of Social Work; Director, Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development; and Associate Director of Integrative Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute. (Recorded September 27, 2024.)

More from the 2023 - 2024 Lecture Series

Dr. Sian Cotton: Promoting Wellbeing in Healthcare Mind-Body Techniques to Manage Stress and Build Resilience

Dr. Sian Cotton, Director and Professor, Turner Farm Foundation Chair, Osher Center for Integrative Health at University of Cincinnati, addresses the drivers of burnout and the impact of chronic stress on well-being, the science behind and evidence for the use of mind-body techniques–includes experiential practices. (March 11, 2024.) 

Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Education (CE) Credits

Claim your CME/CE Credits

Health and Wellness Coaches, email oshercenter@uvm.edu to request your certificate of completion. Visit the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching to learn more about the CE process and to download your CE tracker.

Laura Mann was a home-birth nurse midwife who served her patients with great compassion and love. We honor Laura's legacy through the endowed Laura Mann Integrative Healthcare Lecture Series. 

When Laura was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she learned to thrive by integrating Western medicine and a vast array of complementary and alternative medical therapies. Laura was a visionary, and her illness inspired her to build the first center in the Burlington, Vermont area devoted to promoting the benefits of integrative health care. The Laura Mann Center for Integrative Health merged with UVM Integrative Health in 2015.

The Laura Mann Integrative Healthcare series features research- and evidence-based practitioners affiliated with an academic institution.