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

Want to participate in ongoing cognitive neuroscience research at Western? Check out:
OurBrainsCAN

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.

Graduate Students may want to look at the BrainsCAN Graduate Studentship Program open to Master's and PhD students (including international graduate students).

All grads may be interested in the Collaborative Specialization in Music Cognition.

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.

In addition, graduate students and post-docs can check out the BrainsCAN Computational Postdoctoral and Graduate Studentship Stream or the Music Cognition Specialization

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

October 2020:
Latest study from Drs. Christina VBDN, Jessica Grahn, & Marc Joanisse featured in the National Association of Science Writers, Boosting Language Processing With Song

September 2020:
Congratulations to Lab Members Prisca Hsu and Michael Wang whose papers were winners for this years Undergraduate Awards as regional winner and Highly Commended Entrant (respectively).
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Congratulations Dr. Grahn on being named a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

August 2020:
Welcome to our newest Postdoctoral Felllow, Swathi Swaminathan! She joins us from Baycrest and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

May 2020:
Dr. Grahn talks with Teen Vogue about the future of online concerts 

April 2020:
Congratulations to Josh Hoddinott on receiving the NSERC Doctoral CGS-D Award!

Dr. Grahn and colleagues discuss how Music-making brings people together during the coronavirus pandemic​

February 2020:
Dr. Grahn is a guest speaker on the Twenty Thousand Hertz Podcast - Good Vibes Episode #87
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Call for Postdocs! Interested applicants can see here for more information. 
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 Jessica Grahn                                                        jgrahn@uwo.ca
 Brain and Mind Institute
 Department of Psychology
 Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, 5118
 Western University
 London, ON, CANADA