Posted:Monday, January 26, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Massage Therapy Foundation Awards $15,000 Research Support Award to the University of Utah
Evanston, Ill. – January 26, 2026 – The Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) announces the award of a 2025 Research Support Award to the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. The award will support the study, “Interoceptive Mechanisms of Touch Therapy in Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” led by Principal Investigator Becky Kinkead, PhD.
The study will be conducted at the University of Utah, utilizing the facilities of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) and the School of Medicine. It investigates the role of interoceptive awareness in the therapeutic effects of Swedish Massage Therapy (SMT) compared to Light Touch (LT) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). It examines whether changes in interoceptive awareness mediate or moderate the relationship between touch interventions and reductions in GAD symptoms, and how these changes relate to neuroimaging and autonomic data. The project leverages two ongoing randomized, single-masked clinical trials comparing SMT and LT in individuals with GAD and non-psychiatric controls.
“MTF is pleased to support this project, which will generate essential insights into the mechanisms underlying mind–body interventions for GAD and help guide the development of more tailored and effective treatments,” said Niki Munk, PhD, LMT, MTF Research Director. “The study further expands the growing body of research and supports MTF’s mission of advancing evidence-informed massage therapy practice.”
About the Massage Therapy Foundation
The Massage Therapy Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to supporting scientific research, education, and community service within the massage therapy profession. The Foundation publishes an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and provides educational resources for massage therapists, educators, and students. MTF fosters international scientific collaboration through grants, resources, training, and services.
For more information about this grant and the groundbreaking research, please contact: Teri Mayo, Executive Director, 847.905.1520 tmayo@massagetherapyfoundation.org