Joke Bradt

Joke Bradt is an Associate Professor in the Creative Arts Therapies Department at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. She is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) with a robust research program focused on the application of music therapy in medical settings, particularly for chronic pain and illness. Her federally funded research includes NIH-supported studies on vocal music therapy and multi-site interventions for advanced cancer patients.

• Institution: Drexel University
• School: College of Nursing and Health Professions
• Department: Creative Arts Therapies
• Rank: Associate Professor

Her research expertise lies in evidence-based practices, with a strong emphasis on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She is the lead author of six Cochrane Systematic Reviews on music interventions and one on dance/movement therapy for cancer patients, highlighting her leadership in synthesizing clinical evidence in the arts therapies.

Dr. Bradt’s scholarly work spans interdisciplinary domains, including oncology, palliative care, military health, and psychological trauma. She has conducted research on music therapy for military service members with PTSD and traumatic brain injury as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces Military Healing Arts Network. Her methodological strengths include randomized controlled trials and mixed methods research, demonstrated by her role as a 2015 scholar in the Mixed Methods Research Training Program for the Health Sciences.

She is actively engaged in the academic community through editorial and advisory leadership:

• Co-Editor, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Music Therapy and Music and Medicine
• Peer reviewer for numerous medical journals
• Member, American Music Therapy Association’s Music Therapy Research 2025 Advisory Team
• Former Co-Chair, Mixed Methods International Research Association Regional Conference (2015)

Dr. Bradt has received national recognition for her contributions, including the 2014 American Music Therapy Association Research and Publication Award. She has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences. Her educational background includes a Master’s in Music Pedagogy from the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium), a Master’s in Music Therapy, and a PhD in Health Studies from Temple University.