Biography

Keely Mason is an adjunct lecturer in the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine online graduate programs. She is an alumna of UF’s College of the Arts and holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Arts in Medicine, a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, and a Bachelor of Science in Health Education. In her time with the Center, Keely's work has focused on program administration, grants management, research, and dance in health program facilitation. She has supported the Center’s arts in public health initiatives, including the Creating Healthy Communities: Arts + Public Health in America Initiative, and the EpiArts Lab. Keely has also worked as a dancer in residence with UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine to facilitate dance in health programs in the community, including programs for people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and developmental disabilities.

Keely's own dance in health practice and research focuses on dance for people with multiple sclerosis. She is a founding member of the UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine's Dance for MS class - a class designed by dancers, neurologists and people with MS to benefit those with MS through enhanced physical and social wellbeing. Most recently, she completed a mixed-methods research study to explore the impact of dance on self-efficacy for people with multiple sclerosis.

Keely is located in Washington DC, where she has served as Project Manager (Contractor) for Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an intiaitve of the National Endowment for the Arts that seeks to improve the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers through the arts. She has also worked with the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Pedersen Brain Science Institute to support research, outreach and education initiatives with a focus on the Impact Thinking Model, a translational research approach to enhance human potential in health, wellbeing and learning through the arts.

Keely has trained, taught and performed as a dancer for over 15 years, and is an active member in the dance community with a deep commitment to the use of creativity to promote wellbeing.