Tara Gaertner• December 06, 2023 • 43:58

The Musical Brain

In this episode of Body Banter, we're joined by Dr. Tara Gaertner—a neuroscientist and music educator—to delve into the fascinating relationship between our brains and music. We talk about Tara's rich background ranging from music education, to neuroscience in the context of occupational therapy, and now psychiatry as a resident doctor. Tara shares how music can be used to better understand our brains and to support our health and wellbeing, as well as the bridge between the realms of science and music.

Tara Gaertner is a neuroscientist, psychiatrist-in-training, music educator, and speaker. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from McGill University, a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Texas, Houston, and an M.D. from the University of British Columbia. She taught neuroscience for over fifteen years at UBC in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Currently a resident doctor in the Research Track in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, she continues to engage in semi-professional musical groups, and has taught piano, flute, and children’s music classes for over twenty years. With her background in neuroscience research and experience as a music teacher, Tara is passionate about understanding how our brains process and learn music, and how we can harness the power of music to prevent and treat mental health conditions.

Website: https://taragaertner.com/

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The Musical Brain

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