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The Touch Research Institute studied the effects of touch therapy. The TRIs have researched the effects of massage therapy at all stages of life, from newborns to senior citizens.

History

The Touch Research Institute was formally established in 1992 by Director Tiffany Field, Ph.D. at the University of Miami School of Medicine via a start-up grant from Johnson & Johnson.

The TRI was the first center in the world devoted solely to the study of touch and its application in science and medicine. The TRI distinguished team of researchers, representing Duke, Harvard, Maryland, and other universities, strived to better define touch as it promotes health and contributes to the treatment of disease. Research efforts that began in 1982 have shown that touch therapy has numerous beneficial effects on health and well-being. For example, massage therapy: facilitates weight gain in preterm infants; alleviates depressive symptoms; enhances attentiveness; reduces pain; reduces stress hormones; improves immune function. 

Contact

For more information about the Touch Research Institute, please contact Tiffany Field, Ph.D., at tfield@med.miami.edu.