Mei Rui, DMA
Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery
About Dr. Mei Rui
Dr. Mei Rui is Director, Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and internationally award-winning concert pianist, Dr. Rui is a pioneer in Music Medicine. She spearheads MD Anderson's Music-in-Medicine Initiative and serves as Artist Collaborator at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Other academic appointments include Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Sophie Davis Biomedical School at the City University of New York, at Yale University, and Yale School of Music. Dr. Rui was previously Assistant Professor of Music Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and in the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist. She founded the MUSICARE Initiative, which brought over 400 live bedside concerts performed by Yo-Yo Ma and eminent musicians from the Houston Symphony to ICU patients, their families and providers. Dr. Rui studies the neurophysiological mechanisms and impact of defined music intervention in clinical cohorts. Her research uses evidence-based repertoire-selection methodologies to mitigate intra- and peri-operative stress, alleviate pain, reduce anxiety, diminish sedative and analgesic needs, and improve sleep in cancer patients. Her investigations also harness music—a powerful modulator of the human stress response—to mitigate burnout and enhance empathy in healthcare providers. Dr. Rui’s performances have been praised by the Boston Globe, Boston Musical Intelligencer, and New York Classical Review. In 2015, she was Bronze Medalist of the World Piano Competition. She has performed at prestigious concert venues worldwide, including the Louvre Auditorium in Paris.
In the News
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery - Research, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Director, Music-in-Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery - Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Artist Collaborator, Department of Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston, TX
Jim Cross Endowed Chair, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Areas of expertise: Music medicine, the neurophysiological mechanisms and impact of defined music intervention in clinical cohorts, evidence-based repertoire-selection methodologies
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2011 | Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, US, Doctor of Musical Arts, DMA |
| 2007 | Yale School of Music, New Haven, Connecticut, US, Art, Artist Diploma |
| 2006 | Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, US, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, MA |
| 2006 | Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, US, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, BA |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Research Professor of Music Medicine, Weill Cornel Medical College, New York, NY, 2020 - 2021
Assistant Research Professor of Music Medicine, Department of Center for Performing Arts Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 2020 - 2021
Visiting Assistant Professor in Organic and General Chemistry, City College of New York, New York, NY, 2011 - 2012
Professor, City College of New York, New York, NY, 2008 - 2011
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Member, Continuous Quality Improvement, Department of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2024 - Present
Director, Music-in-Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2023 - Present
Other Professional Positions
Research Scientist, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 2019 - 2020
Clinical Research Scientist, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2017 - 2019
Piano Soloist, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati, OH, 2015
Collaborative Pianist, Shepherd School of Medicine, Rice University, Houston, TX, 2012 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2015 | Bronze Medalist, World Piano Competition |
| 2005 | Bruce Simonds Fellowship for Excellence, Yale University |
| 2004 | Joseph Seldon Memorial Award for Excellence in the Arts, Yale University |
| 2003 | Sheffield Scientific Scholar for the Excellence in Sciences, Yale University |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine Initiative, Pop-up Concert in The Park, featuring Immortal Beloved, Piano works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Sergei Rachmaninoff, Mei Rui, piano. Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine Initiative, Concert in The Park, featuring 100 Years of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” Featuring the TMC Orchestra, MD Anderson Neurosurgery faculty and internationally award-winning concert pianist Mei Rui, DMA, soloist. Welcome remarks by Frederick Lang, M.D., chair of Neurosurgery, and live aesthetic brain-computer interface projection based on the electroencephalogram (EEG) by University of Houston’s neuroengineering team led by Jose L. Contreras-Vidal, Ph.D. Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine Initiative, Pop-up Concert in The Park, featuring Canadian Pianist Jonathan Mak. Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine Initiative, Pop-up Concert in The Park, featuring the Brahms Trio in Eb Major (Mei Rui, piano; Sophia Matthews, violin; Emma Potter, French horn). Conference. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, US.
National Presentations
- 2021. Neurological and Physiological Impact of Music Intervention. Invited. Music Teacher's National Association. Atlanta, GA, US.
- 2020. Live Anxiolytic Music Intervention in the ICU to mitigate stress and burnout in health care providers. Invited. Music and Mind Live. Washington, DC, US.
- 2020. Invited Speaker: Integrating Live Virtual Performances in Clinical Environments during COVID-19 Pandemic. Invited. Texas Cultural Trust State of the Arts Council Meeting. Austin, TX, US.
Formal Peers
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine. Visiting. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine. Visiting. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine. Visiting. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. Music-In-Medicine. Visiting. Houston, TX, US.
- 2023. FOUN: 098 “Music & Our World” Foundation Seminar, The Science of Music in Medicine, Virtual Event. Invited, US.
- 2022. Music-in-Medicine and Music Intervention Research. Visiting, US.
- 2022. Music-in-Medicine and Music Intervention Research. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2020. Science and Compositional Elements of Music Anxiolysis. Visiting, US.
- 2019. Science and Compositional Elements of Music Anxiolysis. Visiting, US.
- 2019. Music-in-Medicine and Music Intervention Research. Visiting, US.
- 2019. Music-in-Medicine and Music Intervention Research. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2012. Masterclasses. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2023 - 2023 |
| Title: | The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) “Let Creativity Happen! 2023 |
| Funding Source: | Houston Arts Alliance |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2023 - 2033 |
| Title: | NO TITLE PROVIDED |
| Funding Source: | |
| Role: |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Gao D, Luo Y, Guevara D, Wang Y, Rui M, Goldwyn B, Lu Y, Smith EC, Lebwohl M, Wei H. Benzo[a]pyrene and its metabolites combined with ultraviolet A synergistically induce 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine via reactive oxygen species. Free Radic Biol Med 39(9):1177-83, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 16214033.
Review Articles
- Rui M, Lee JE, Vauthey JN, Conrad C. Enhancing surgical performance by adopting expert musicians' practice and performance strategies. Surgery 163(4):894-900, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29336812.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified March 31, 2026