Jessica Grahn
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​Dr Jessica Grahn

Click here for full CV

Address: Centre for Brain and Mind & Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Nationality: USA, UK, Canada

EMPLOYMENT

2023-pres     Professor, Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, Western University, Canada
2015–23       Associate Professor, Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, Western University, Canada
2011–15       Assistant Professor, Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, Western University, Canada
2007–10       Research Scientist Medical Research Council, Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, UK
2005–10       Associate Lecturer in Biological Psychology, Open University, UK
2004–07       Stipendiary Research Fellow Clare Hall, Cambridge/Medical Research Council, UK

CONSULTING
2015
–18       SYNC. Advisor to Boston-based start-up, SYNC, on development of a smartphone app for music and health, including a large-scale study on                             music and gait, using the SYNC app. 
2005–10       Neurosense, Ltd. Analysis and report of brain imaging data, graphics production for corporations and advertising agencies. Resulting reports                           and images used by the Science Museum (London), Viacom, MTV, GMTV, Metro newspaper, Johnson & Johnson, among others.
2004
–05       Celestia, Ltd. Website programming for database of clinical trial research

EDUCATION
2001
–05       PhD, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
                                Behavioural and Functional Imaging Studies of Rhythm Processing
                                (Supervised by Matthew Brett, Robert Carlyon)
                                MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
1999–00       PhD coursework at the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
1995
–99       BA (Neuroscience), Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
                       BMus (Piano Performance), Northwestern University, Chicago, USA

FELLOWSHIPS/SCHOLARSHIPS
2007–10       Research Fellow Clare Hall, University of Cambridge
2004–07       Betty Behrens Stipendiary Research Fellowship
                       Clare Hall, University of Cambridge  (3 yrs salary and research/equipment/travel funding)
2001–04       Gates Cambridge Scholarship (Full PhD support)
1999–00       Predoctoral Fellowship, U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Full support)
1997–99       Laura Winkelman Merit Scholarship (Part tuition support)
1995–96       National Merit Scholarship (Part tuition support)

AWARDS
2024           
Outstanding Scholar, Western Research Excellence Award, Western University
2021            NSERC National Prize: Steacie Memorial Fellowship $250,000 + protected research time for 2 years
2020            Royal Society of Canada, Member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
2017            Fellow, Association for Psychological Science
2016-18      Faculty Scholar Award, University of Western Ontario. $14,000
2015-21      Understanding Human Cognition Scholar Award, James S. McDonnell Foundation. $600,000 USD
2015-20      New Investigator Award, Canadian Institute of Health Research $300,000

2012-17      Early Researcher Award, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, $140,000
2010            Charles Darwin Award from British Science Association.
                                Outstanding public communicator award in agricultural, biological and medical sciences.

2007            Organization for Human Brain Mapping Travel Award $750
2004/5/7      Brain Travel Grants: £700, £600, £550
2004            Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience Fellowship
2004            Wolfson Travel Fund £150, Lane Cox Fund £100
2001-04      Overseas Research Student Award (PhD fee tuition supplement)
1999            Honorable mention: NSF predoctoral fellowship competition
1996            Silver medal, American Forensics League tournament, Impromptu speaking


GRANTS
2024            NSERC Discovery Grant [PI], Mechanisms of Rhythm and Timing $270,000 
2021            BrainsCAN Registered Reports Funding Program $66,721   
2020            NSERC-RTI [Co-Applicant], EEG equipment for studies of sleep and cognition, $149,920
2019-20      BrainsCAN Accelerator Grant [Co-PI with Henry, Butler, Joanisse, Everling] Validating methods for using noninvasive brain stimulation to                                                          influence auditory perception $91,980
2018-21       McGill-Western Collaboration Grant [Co-PI with Zatorre], OMMABA: The Open Multimodal Music and Auditory Brain Archive,  $375,171
2017-18       CPSR Catalyst Grant [Co-Investigator, Principal Applicant Patterson], Feasibility of rhythm perception and production training in people with                                                    stroke, $49,987
2017-23       NSERC-CREATE Grant [Co-PI], Complex Dynamics in Brain and Behaviour, $1,650,000
2016-21       NSERC Discovery Grant & Accelerator Supplement [PI], Mechanisms of Rhythm Perception, $375,000
2016-18       SSHRC Insight Development Grant [Co-Applicant], Optimizing Music Learning: The Effects of Contextual Interference $74,296
2015            LIVELab seed grant [Co-Investigator with Co-Primary Investigators Cameron and Henry] The role of social context in intersubject synchronization                                           between audience members during musical performance $11,400
2015-18       CIHR-Collaborative Health Research Project Grant [Co-Principal Applicant with Patterson, Chen, Depaul] The relationship of temporal gait                                                       asymmetry and rhythm perception and production $450,200
2014-16       Operating Grant Priority Announcement, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Parkinson Society Canada, $100,000                                    
2014-15       Parkinson Society Canada Pilot Grant, $44,987
2014-15       NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grant 
[Co-Investigator with Owen, Fogel, Cusack, Morton, & McRae], Simultaneous and synchronized                                             electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during sleep in normal and brain injured populations $145,503
2013-14       Western Strategic Support for CIHR Success, $22,500
2012-14       GRAMMY Foundation Research Grant [PI], Brain Responses to Music in Human and Nonhuman Animals, $19,500 USD
2012-13       J.P. Bickell Foundation, $65,000                     
2012-17       Leaders opportunity fund, Canadian Fund for Innovation, $112,000 
2012-17       Ontario Research Fund $112,000
2012-14       GRAMMY Foundation Research Grant, $19,500
2011-16       NSERC Discovery Grant, $120,000
2011-15       R.K. MacDonald Fund for Parkinson's Research, $40,000 
2007-09       GRAMMY Foundation Research Grant, $20,300, Neural Correlates of Individual Differences in Rhythm Perception, Co-Investigators: D.                                                          McAuley, J. Grahn

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2021-          Director, Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, UWO
2021-          Coordinator, Neuroscience Honours Thesis Course (full year, 1.0), UWO
2021-
          Coordinator, Neuroscience Independent Study Course (full year, 1.0), UWO
2017-18      Research Seminar in Cognitive, Developmental and Brain Sciences, UWO
2011-22      Cognitive Neuroscience of Music (Undergraduate, 0.5), UWO
2015           Scientific Writing (Graduate, 0.5), UWO

2012-13      Neuroimaging Methods, Interdisciplinary College, Günne, Germany
2011-          Faculty Member, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, UWO
2005-10      Associate Lecturer in Biological Psychology, Open University, UK 
2008-10      External Examiner, Guest Lecturer, Natural Sciences Tripos, part II Neuroscience, University of Cambridge 
2007-10      Faculty mentor, Open University, UK (mentor for new lecturers) 
2007-09      Guest Lecturer, The Cambridge College Programme (high school exchange programme in Cambridge) 
2008            Supervisor, Music Tripos, part II, University of Cambridge, 
2005-10      External Examiner, Music Tripos, part II, University of Cambridge
2002-04      Supervisor, Experimental Psychology, part II, University of Cambridge
1999-00      Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Educator, Princeton Review, Chicago
1995-99      Tutor, Northwestern University, Calculus, Biology, and Psychology
1992-99      Private music teacher, Piano, Cello, Music Theory

INVITED TALKS

2023           Moving to the groove: musical rhythm and the brain’s motor system
                              Neurohumanities Lab Music Faculty Colloquium: UBC, Vancouver
2023           Moving and Grooving: The role of motor areas in rhythm and beat perception
                             Music Faculty Colloquium: UBC, Vancouver
2023           Feeling the Beat: The role of motor areas in auditory sequence processing
                             Krembil Neuroimaging Rounds, University Health Network, Toronto
2022           Rhythm, Movement, and the Brain
                             Neuroscience Seminar Series, Queens University, Canada
2022           The role of motor areas in auditory sequence processing
                             International Conference on the Auditory Cortex, Magdeburg, Germany
2022           Music, Movement, and the Brain
                             Future Directions in Neuroscience, Max Planck Symposium, Berlin
2022           Music and Rhythmicity
                             LASER Talks, Cambridge, UK
2022           Music and Movement: Behavioural and brain responses to rhythm
                             Smart Mobility for the Aging Population, McMaster University
2022           Music, Movement, and the Brain
                              Kings University College, London, ON
2021           Music, Movement, and the Brain
                              Women in Science Research Conference, Virtual  
2021           Music, Movement, and the Brain
                              Western Leader’s Forum, Western University
2021           The role of motor brain areas in auditory sequence perception
                              Auditory Cortex Virtual Symposium
2021           Dissociating the roles of different motor areas in auditory sequence processing
                              Symposium for Cognitive Auditory Neuroscience, Virtual
2021           How music moves us: The neuroscience of rhythm
                              Carleton University Cognitive Science Graduate Conference, Virtual
2021           Moving to the beat: Neural mechanisms of rhythm perception
                               Kings College London (UK) Neuroimaging Seminar, Virtual 
2020           Keynotes at Future Directions in Neuroscience (postponed due to coronavirus)
                               Berlin; Auditory Cortex conference, Magdeburg; and at RITMO centre, Oslo 
2020           Rhythm and movement: Neural mechanisms of rhythm perception
                               Brock Psychology Colloquium, St. Catherines, ON
2019           Music, movement, and the brain
                               Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany
2019           Music and movement: Musical factors that affect gait
                               American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, USA
2019           Moving and grooving to the beat: Rhythm and the brain
                               Undergraduate Awards Summit, Dublin, Ireland
2019           Rhythm, timing and movement: How the brain reacts to musical rhythm
                               Keynote, Annual Meeting, Leopoldina Society, Halle, Germany
2019           Music and the brain
                               SOLUNA Festival, Dallas, Texas
2019           Rhythm, moving and the brain: Grooving to the beat
                                AIMS Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal
2019           Moving and grooving: Rhythm and the brain
                                Neugeneration conference, Queens University
2018           Music and Parkinson's: Movement and Mood
                                Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario (Sarnia and London Events)

2018           Music and the brain
                                Western Talks Science, Western University
2018           The role of beat perception in auditory sequence processing
                                Organization for Computational Neuroscience, Allen Institute, United States
2018           Oscillatory entrainment increases with social context
                                Symposium of Nonlinear Dynamics, McGill University  
2018           The role of beat perception in auditory sequence processing
                                ​Organization for Computational Neuroscience, Allen Institute, United States
2018           Why do we move to music: Rhythm and the Brain
                                Weekly Seminars: Department of Biology, Western University
2018           What Makes Musical Rhythm Special: Cross-Species, Developmental, and Social Perspectives
                                CNS Symposium
2017           Music and the Brain 
                                Learning Unlimited (Oxford) in Woodstock, ON
2017           Rhythm and the Brain: The role of the motor system in auditory sequence perception
                                Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Colloquium, University of Maryland
2017           Moving and Grooving: Rhythm, Movement, and the Brain
                                SMPC 2017 San Diego
2017           Movement-Time and Rehabilitation
                                Music, Language, and Cognition, Lake Como Summer School, Italy
2017           Music, Movement, and the Brain
                                University of Montreal, Canada
2017           Feeling the beat: Rhythm, Movement, and the brain
                                Jyväskyla Centre for the Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University Jyväskyla, Finland
2017           Music and Movement
                                Neural Dynamics and Brain Health Conference and Workshop, Baycrest Rotman Research Institute, Toronto
2017           Feeling the beat: Rhythm, Movement, and the Brain
                                James C. Carlsen Invited Lecture, School of Music, University of Washington
2017           Music and the Groove: the Connection Between Movement, Music, and the Brain
                                Institute for the Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington
2016           Music and Movement
                                Brain Health Fair, London, ON
2016           Why does music make us move? Rhythm and the brain
                                BrainCanDo: Music and the Brain, BAFTA, London, UK
2016           Rhythm and the brain: the role of neural motor areas in rhythm and timing
                                Centre for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Denmark
2016           Music and the Groove: the Connection Between Movement, Music, and the Brain
                                Keynote, Graduate Student Symposium, University of Guelph, Canada
2016           Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation in Gait Training for Parkinson's Disease
                                Music and Health Colloquium Series, University of Toronto, Canada
2015           Musical beat perception and computational questions
                                Multi-disciplinary workshop: Joint Action and Perception in Emergent Phenomenon, Cuernavaca, México
2015           Music and movement in Parkinson's disease
                                 Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario Conference
2015           Rhythmic processing, the brain, and Parkinson's disease
                               
Keynote, Musical Learning Across The Lifespan (Symposium on Music, Learning and the Brain)
2015           Rhythm perception and the motor system
                                Keynote, Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop, Amsterdam
2015           Rhythm perception and the motor system
                                 Keynote, LOVE Conference (Lake Ontario Visionary Establishment Conference), Niagara Falls
2015           Assessing the role of motor areas in rhythm perception using brain stimulation
                                Current Topics in Hearing Science and Audiology series, Western University
2014         
  Music and the brain!
                                 Innovating Medicine Conference, Lisbon, Portugal
2014           How Music affects Brain and Behaviour
                                 Keynote, Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County Symposium, Barrie, ON
2014           Beat Perception Ability and Gait Improvements in Parkinson’s Disease 
                                 Neurosciences of Music V: Cognitive Stimulation and Rehabilitation
2014           Feeling the beat: Auditory and motor system involvement in rhythm perception
                                 Cognitive Science Colloquium, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
2013           Walking to the beat: implications for Parkinson's disease
                                Annual Workshop, NSERC-CREATE Network in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience, Hearing and Health, McMaster University          
2013           The perception of musical rhythm: Auditory and motor system involvement
                                Keynote, Banff Annual Seminar in Cognitive Science, British Columbia
2013           Auditory and motor system involvement in rhythm perception 
                                Keynote, Canadian Spring Conference on Behaviour and Brain, Fernie, British Columbia 
2013           Why rhythm makes us move: neural investigations of rhythm perception
                                University of Guelph, Department of Psychology    
2012           Neural investigations of rhythm perception
                                Rhythm Perception and Production Workshop at Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, Montreal    
2012           Rhythm in the brain: how music can affect movement
                                Parkinson's Society Regional Conference, Kitchener, Ontario    
2012           Rhythm and beat perception in the auditory and visual modalities
                                Centre for Vision Research, York University    
2012           Motor area engagement during perception of rhythm
                                Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University    
2012           Moving to the beat: rhythm and the brain
                                Faculty of Music, Western University    
2012           Feeling the beat: brain responses to musical rhythm
                                Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists Meeting
2012           Motor system engagement in rhythm and beat perception
                                Music Cognition Symposium, Eastman School of Music/University of Rochester/Cornell
2012           Links between rhythm perception and the motor system
                                Department of Psychology, Michigan State University
2012           Feeling the beat: brain responses to musical rhythm
                                Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists
2012           Rhythm perception and the motor system
                                Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University
2012           Feeling the beat: Rhythm perception and the motor system
                                Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario
2011           Can you see it?  Beat perception in auditory and visual modalities
                                McMaster Institute for Music and Mind, McMaster University
2011           Investigating how movement areas in the brain support musical rhythm perception
                                Annual meeting of the Southern Ontario Neuroscience Association, University of Guelph 
2011           The role of motor areas in musical rhythm and beat perception
                                Ebbinghaus Empire series, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
2010           Research in Neuroscience, music, and the brain: Highlights
                                Leaders' Forum, University of Western Ontario
2010           fMRI investigations of finding the beat versus continuing the beat
                                British Psychological Society Seminar Series
2010           Music and movement: the role of the basal ganglia in music and rhythm perception
                                School of Psychology, University of Birmingham
2010           Music in the brain: fMRI and patient investigations of musical rhythm and motor areas
                                Instituto de Neurologia Cognitiva (INECO), Buenos Aires
2010           Investigating of the neural foundations of rhythm processing with fMRI
                                Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, UCL, London
2010           Feeling the beat: musical rhythm processing in the brain
                                School of Psychology, University of East London
2010           Neural investigations of musical rhythm and beat perception
                                Goldsmiths College, University of London
2010           Disorders of Musical Cognition
                                Neuropsychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
2010           Moving to the beat: the role of the striatum in musical rhythm perception
                                Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge
2010           Feeling the beat: Musical rhythm processing
                                Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge
2009           Prior auditory exposure effects on visual beat perception: a cross-modal investigation using fMRI
                                Workshop on Synchronization in Music and Speech, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
2009           Music, rhythm, and movement: Why we fill the science
                                Peterhouse College, Cambridge, UK
2009           Moving to the groove: Motor responses in the brain during rhythm perception
                                Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium 
2009           Does phonological short-term memory capacity correlate with rhythmic ability? A comparison of individual differences in nonverbal and rhythm spans
                                UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Timing in Speech and Music Workshop
2009           Feeling the beat: how the brain processes musical rhythm
                                University of Western Ontario
2009           Rhythm processing in the brain: a focus on motor areas
                                Universitat Pompeu Fabre, Barcelona
2008           Rhythm and beat perception in the brain
                                Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge
2008           Rhythm perception in musicians and non-musicians: auditory-motor network modulations
                                MRC-CBU Lunchtime Seminar Series
2007           Connectivity analyses in neuroimaging investigations: Symposium discussant
                                Conference on Language and Music as Cognitive Systems, University of Cambridge
2007           The role of motor areas in rhythm and beat perception
                                Max Planck Institute, Leipzig and also at Bowling Green State University
2006           The role of motor areas in beat-based rhythm processing
                                Conference on Rhythm, Time and Temporal Organisation The Institute for Music in Human and Social Development (IMHSD)
2006           Neuroimaging and neuropsychology of beat-based and non-beat-based rhythm processing
                                Rhythms in the Brain Workshop, University of Wales, Bangor
2006           Rhythm processing in the brain
                                Cognitive Neuroscience Colloquium, University of Wales, Bangor
2005           Beat-based rhythm processing in the brain: Behavioural, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological investigations
                                Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
2005           Rhythm processing in the brains of musicians and non-musicians
                                Crosstalk series, University of Cambridge, UK
2004           Rhythm and the brain: Evidence for beat-based timing
                                School of Informatics, City University, UK
2004           Beat-based rhythm processing and the basal ganglia
                                Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
2004           The basal ganglia and processing beat-based rhythm in musicians and non-musicians
                                University of California, Berkeley, and Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University, CA
2004           Rhythm processing in the brains of musicians and non-musicians
                                Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, UK
2002           Timing networks and rhythm perception
                                Cambridge University Science and Music Group, UK
2001           Beat-based timing: A matter of complexity?
                                Cambridge University Signal Processing Colloquium

Click here for publications


Significant administrative roles:
President: Society for Music Perception and Cognition (2020-2021)
Director: Human Cognitive and Sensorimotor Core, BrainsCAN
Director: Western Centre for Brain and Mind
Secretary: Society for Music Perception and Cognition


REVIEWER
Journals: Current Biology; Journal of Neuroscience; Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience; Cerebral Cortex; NeuroImage; Cortex; European Journal of Neuroscience; Human Brain Mapping; PLoSONE; Brain and Cognition; Frontiers in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience; Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience; Neuroscience Letters; Cognitive Brain Research; Experimental Brain Research; Behavioural Brain Research; Social Neuroscience; Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience; Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance; Journal of Experimental Psychology: General; Attention, Perception, & Performance; Perception; Acta Psychologica, Topics in Cognitive Science; Imaging in Medicine; Empirical Musicology Review; Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, BRAIN; Behavior Research Methods


Funding Agencies:
Panels: Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR): BS2, NSA, Project Grant competitions
National Institute for Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NIH/NINDS), Study Section: Music and Health (2019-2022)
National Science Foundation (NSF): Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems (2016)

Reviewer: Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR); Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC); Canada Research Chairs program; Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI); MITACS, Medical Research Council, UK; Austrian Science Fund; French National Research Agency; Parkinson’s UK; Danish Council for Independent Research; Einstein Foundation, Germany; Stroke Association, UK; Research Foundation – Flanders