Dr. Bittman is the Board Chairman, CEO, and President of the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute. His peer-reviewed published scientific research focuses on stress reduction from psychosocial to genomic levels utilizing novel creative music expression strategies.
Dr. Bittman is a neurologist, author, international speaker, and researcher. He leads innovative interdisciplinary teams in the development of protocols, algorithms, and comprehensive integrative strategies that enable an integrated delivery network to optimize care and achieve Triple Aim objectives.
Based on his conviction that Recreational Music-making is an effective therapeutic strategy in various medical settings, Dr. Bittman spearheaded a research team to investigate the biological effects of the HealthRHYTHMS group drumming protocol, which he co-developed. This foundational study demonstrated that group drumming increases the activity of Natural Killer cells, specialized white blood cells that target and destroy cancer cells and virally-infected cells. Together with Karl T. Bruhn, who is acknowledged as the "Father of Music Making and Wellness," their research also showed significant reductions in burnout and mood disturbances among long-term care workers and substantial cost savings with the use of a Recreational Music-making protocol. This approach has also proven beneficial for nursing students.
Focusing on the aging continuum, Dr. Bittman led a research team that documented the impact of Recreational Music-making in the long-term care continuum. His comprehensive compilation of data from two long-term care centers revealed multiple psychosocial benefits across the aging spectrum. Dr. Bittman's 2-phase study was the first to demonstrate that playing a musical instrument reverses multiple elements of the human stress response at the genomic level. The team included researchers from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Applied Biosystems, which developed the original technology leading to the successful mapping of the human genome announced in June 2000. They found that stress reduction was significantly greater for individuals participating in their first group keyboard lesson (Yamaha's Clavinova Connection) than for subjects who simply relaxed and read newspapers and magazines. Additionally, the researchers introduced the concept of individualized genomic stress induction signatures, showcasing biological diversity in action.