Welcome to the Music and Neuroscience Lab! The lab is run by Dr. Grahn, a cognitive neuroscientist who studies music. Dr. Grahn is an Associate Professor in the Brain and Mind Institute and the Department of Psychology at Western University, in London, Ontario.

Before that, she was at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, England, and an Associate Lecturer in Biological Psychology with the Open University. 

(And a little tip: Grahn rhymes with "on", not "an").

Research Interests

  • Why do we move to music? 
  • How is musical rhythm processed in the brain? How do brain responses to musical rhythm differ from similar types of movement and timing? 
  • How and why do other animals' brain responses to music differ from ours? 
  • Can musical rhythm have therapeutic benefit? (more information). 

Other areas in which I have expertise include:
  • the use of real-time fMRI scanning to examine if people can change their own brain activity (neurofeedback)
  • the effects of training on cognitive function (brain training, musical training)
  • how listening to different types of music affects memory

Research Opportunities

If you are interested in research opportunities in the Music and Neuroscience lab, please get in touch. Students may want to read about important traits I look for in both undergrads and grads.  

Undergraduate students should send Dr. Grahn a CV, transcript, writing sample, as well as a short description of why they are interested in this area of research and the time commitment they are able to make.

Post-docs may want to look at the Banting Fellowships, Marie Curie fellowships (Europeans), CIHR Fellowships, NSERC Fellowships, or other lists of fellowships. This list, too.
The BMI has its own fellowship competition  twice per year.

International students interested in doing a placement in the lab should send similar materials as undergraduate students (as above), and should look at Western's procedures.

News

- Here are our recent publications
​
June:
Congratulations to PhD Student Avital Sternin on receiving a Certificate of Excellence in Teaching.

May:
Congratulations to Post Doc Eric Taylor for receiving the Tom Troscianko Travel Award. 

​February:
Learn more about Dr. Grahn in this Faculty Profile interview published in the Western Undergraduate Research Journal. 

​January:
Do you have a go to relaxing song? Dr.Grahn and Matt Sachs ask Can music help alleviate stress, anxiety? 

Check out this great overview article Feel the Beat by EMBO reports featuring Dr. Grahn discussing the importance of predictive timing in music processing.

Dr. Grahn responds to viral video "From barely walking to dancing" in CTV News interview discussing the therapeutic effects of music for Parkinson's Patients.
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 Jessica Grahn                                                        jgrahn@uwo.ca
 Brain and Mind Institute
 Department of Psychology
 Natural Sciences Building, 229
 Western University
 London, ON, CANADA