Michelle Lawton​ is a PhD student studying musicology at the University of Cincinnati. In addition to her research on fairy tales and 19th century piano ballades, she loves photography, cooking, and being outdoors.

She was diagnosed with a heart condition in 2007 and by 2018 had undergone 3 procedures to treat it. She is also being treated for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS, formerly known as Ehlers-Danlos Type III). She is also being treated for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), autoimmune disorders, and fibromyalgia. She takes 30 different medications each day to manage her conditions and struggles with balance, joint subluxations, syncope, and allergic reactions including anaphylaxis.

Michelle’s medical team agreed that a service dog could help with mobility issues and medical alerts, which could be life-saving for Michelle.  Finally, Sara Spins was able to help to cover the costs of this service dog training and supplies!

While at the University of Cincinnati, Michelle has been a graduate writing tutor Academic Writing Center, the editor of the graduate student-run journal Music Research Forum, an instructor, a graduate teaching fellow, a teaching assistant, and an editorial assistant. She hopes to continue using her skills and passion for teaching as a music history professor in the future. When she isn’t studying madly for her comp exams, she also enjoys cooking, trying (and failing) to keep houseplants alive, and learning how to twist balloons. Learn more about Michelle through her blog on graduate school and chronic illness at Titanium*Butterflies.