I seek to inform and inspire the effective use of music for health-related outcomes through interdisciplinary research. I am a highly trained musician and have performed professionally for over 20 years. As a board-certified music therapist, I have 2 decades of clinical experience that has prompted practical understanding of the utility of my research in its translation to music-based intervention training and implementation. I have worked with diverse individuals in several settings across the lifespan and am passionate about improving the well-being of individuals impacted by dementia, their caregivers, and their families. I am privileged to have received interdisciplinary research training in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. I love that teaching and my research agenda both allow me to regularly leverage my musicianship and creativity.

Research agenda

• Area 1) What are the effects of music-based interventions on psychosocial outcomes for persons with dementia?
• Area 2) How can music promote health and well-being in diverse communities?
• Area 3) What mechanisms underlie music-based interventions?

Education

• BME, MA University of Missouri-Kansas City: I studied music education, music therapy, and music performance
• PhD, University of Iowa – I studied music therapy as a Ballard and Seashore Doctoral Fellow and was a senior researcher in Dr. Daniel Tranel’s cognitive neuroscience lab.

Recent Accolades

• Research Fellow, Institute on Methods and Protocols for Advancement of Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (IMPACT-AD)
• Recipient of competitive Developmental Project Grant from UK Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center for "Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of A Multimodal Music Therapy Intervention for Engaging Persons with Severe Dementia (AMUSED)
• Arthur Flagler Fultz Grant, American Music Therapy Association