Director

Dr. Michael H. Thaut, PhD, is currently a Professor of Music with cross-appointments in the Faculty of Medicine [Rehabilitation Science, Medical Science, Neuroscience]  at the University of Toronto. He also holds appointments at 2 University Teaching Hospitals as Collaborator Scientist at the CAMH Hospital Neuroimaging Division and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’ Hospital, Toronto. He is Director of the University’s Music and Health Science Research Center (MAHRC) and Music and Health Science Graduate programs [MHS].  His position is endowed by a TIER I  CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR IN MIUSIC, NEUROSCIENCE, AND HEALTH award from the Federal Government of Canada since 2017. 

Dr. Thaut received his Master’s and PhD in Music from Michigan State University, with a cognate minor in movement science. He holds a special diploma in music from the Mozarteum University in Salzburg/Austria and a German Diplom in Psychology/Education from the University of Muenster. Prior to his appointment at the University of Toronto, he was a Professor of Music and Professor of Neuroscience as well as Director of the Center for Biomedical Research in Music at Colorado State University where he also served as Director of the School of the Arts from 2001-2009. He has held many visiting professorships internationally including at the University of Michigan Dept. of Movement Science, Düsseldorf University Medical School, National Institute for Neuroscience Research IRCCS Santa Lucia/Rome, Heidelberg University of Applied Sciences, and Kurashiki Sakuyo Music University in Japan to name a few. 

Dr. Thaut is an international leader in the basic and clinical auditory and music neuroscience and has internationally recognized pathbreaking research  for music and rhythm based interventions in brain rehabilitation. He has over 300 scientific publications and is the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology, senior editor of the Oxford Handbook of Music and the Brain and the Oxford Handbook of Neurologic Music Therapy which was second in the annual British Medical Association book award in the category “Best New Book in Neurology 2015”.  He is President Emeritus of the International Society for Clinical Neuromusicology, Vice President of the International Society for Music and Medicine, Presidium Member of the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation, an Overseas Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine/ UK, and Board Co-Chair of the International Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy.  

His research team in collaboration with medical science and clinician groups worldwide developed the field of Neurological Music Therapy, which is a medically recognized evidence based system of music-rhythm based interventions in motor, speech/language, and cognitive rehabilitation applied to a broad range of neurologic disorders, practiced by certified clinicians in over 70 countries worldwide, and endorsed by the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation. 

As a former professional violinist in the classic and folk genre, Dr. Thaut has recorded several LPs/CDs and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the US.  

Michael H. Thaut, PhD
Canadian Research Chair Tier I
Professor of Music
Professor of Neuroscience (Cross-Appointment)
Professor Rehabilitation (Cross-Appointment)
Collaborator Scientist, CAMH Neuroimaging Centre
CV | michael.thaut@utoronto.ca
www.nmtacacademy.co

Research Associate/Staff Scientist

Dr. Yuko Koshimori completed her 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in November 2019 at MaHRC and is now a research associate at MaHRC and CAMH. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto. Yuko has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research, Parkinson Canada and others. Her research focuses on uncovering the neural correlates of rhythm and music and investigating the neural mechanisms of NMT using neuroimaging techniques such as PET and MRI. Yuko has been appointed as Senior Research Associate in 2023.

Yuko Koshimori, PhD
Research Associate
yuko.koshimori@utoronto.ca
Google Scholar
Research Gate

Research Coordinator

Veronica Vuong is the Research Coordinator at MaHRC and a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. A pianist and an alumna of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, she previously completed her MA in Music and Health Sciences and BMusEd with Honours. Currently, Veronica’s research focuses on the neural correlates of musical memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment using electroencephalography (EEG) at the Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences. Veronica’s work is supported by NSERC and the Alzheimer Society. She was also one of two doctoral students selected nation-wide to receive an award from the Canadian Federation of University Women and was selected as the single trainee from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, across five research sites for outstanding achievement in clinical dementia research by the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance.

Veronica Vuong, PhD Candidate
Research Coordinator
veronica.vuong@utoronto.ca
Google Scholar
Research Gate

Research Assistants

Damian M. Manzone is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at KITE, the research arm of Toronto Rehabilitation Institute at the University Health Network (UHN). Damian’s work focuses on developing and assessing the usability of a home-based augmented reality application to train hand function for individuals with spinal cord injury. For MaHRC, Damian focuses on the analysis of kinematic data to assess movement outcomes in addition to standard clinical assessments. Damian received his PhD from the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto and his MSc from the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia where his work focused on sensorimotor processing during action and action observation.

Damian Manzone, PhD
damian.manzone@mail.utoronto.ca
Google Scholar

I hold a Master of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Toronto, where I developed a strong interest in understanding the interaction between the brain and body. My research focuses on motor learning and relearning, using motion capture systems and robotic arms to uncover principles that can be applied to neurorehabilitation. Additionally, I conduct neurophysiological research, analyzing brain activity through EEG to better understand how the brain functions under different cognitive states.

In the lab, I am responsible for processing and analyzing kinematic and neurophysiological data from patient populations. I provide input on data processing and variable exploration, while also contributing to study design and data collection. Through this work, I aim to bridge neuroscience and rehabilitation research to improve patient outcomes.

Amin Mostofinejad, MSci
amin.mostofinejad@mail.utoronto.ca