HOUSTON — Pipes for the People, a Houston-based initiative founded in 2023 by Keshav Harpavat, has launched a formal research study approved by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board to evaluate whether Highland bagpipe lessons improve lung function in cystic fibrosis patients. The study will compare lung function data before and after participants begin bagpipe lessons to determine any measurable effects.

The initiative teaches virtual bagpipe lessons to individuals with cystic fibrosis, a condition that prevents safe in-person interaction among patients. Nearly 20 instructors provide lessons through the program. Harpavat reported that after playing bagpipes while recovering from a respiratory infection, he felt his breathing become easier. He explained that playing the bagpipes helps replicate breathing treatments that require measuring breath flow.

Dr. Daniel Weiner, a pediatric pulmonologist at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in cystic fibrosis, said the research team designed a protocol using existing clinically obtained lung function tests for enrolled patients. "We designed a research protocol using existing clinically obtained lung function tests for cystic fibrosis patients enrolled in Pipes for the People," he said. Dr. Weiner stated that the current hypothesis is that bagpipe training will improve lung function in cystic fibrosis patients.

The research team will obtain consent from students or their parents before collecting data in collaboration with cystic fibrosis care teams. Andrew Zhao, Vice President of Pipes for the People and a lifelong friend of Harpavat, said the initiative began with a cold email to Dr. Mann and later developed into a system for connecting with clinics. The organization has received grant funding and plans to expand the program later this summer to include anyone with a lung disease, according to a podcast interview.