Assistant Professor
Education and Training
Ph.D., - Music Cognition and Theory, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University
M.Mus, - Musicology, Peabody Institute of Music at Johns Hopkins University
M.Mus, - Piano, Peabody Institute of Music at Johns Hopkins University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, - Auditory Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco
B.A., - Music and Neuroscience, Wellesley College
Biography
Karen Chan Barrett, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Institute for Health & Aging at the UCSF School of Nursing and the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the UCSF School of Medicine. She is an auditory cognitive neuroscientist whose research examines how music engages the brain and how musical experiences can support health and well-being across the lifespan.
Her research spans three interconnected areas: the neuroscience of musical creativity and improvisation, music perception and auditory rehabilitation in people with cochlear implants, and the use of music to support cognitive, social, and emotional well-being in older adults, including people living with cognitive impairment and dementia. Her work integrates behavioral, neuroimaging, and intervention-based approaches to understand the neural mechanisms of music and its potential clinical applications.
Her research spans three interconnected areas: the neuroscience of musical creativity and improvisation, music perception and auditory rehabilitation in people with cochlear implants, and the use of music to support cognitive, social, and emotional well-being in older adults, including people living with cognitive impairment and dementia. Her work integrates behavioral, neuroimaging, and intervention-based approaches to understand the neural mechanisms of music and its potential clinical applications.
Associated Programs
- PhD, Sociology
Research Areas
Aging and Life Course Health
Artificial Intelligence, Informatics and Digital Health
Research Interests
July 15, 2025 - March 31, 2030 - Impact of Improvisation Music Therapy for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: K01AG088475
October 1, 2025 - October 1, 2027 - Using AI to Enhance Preferred Voices in Noisy Environments for Cochlear Implant Users , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: UCSF Chancellor's Office: 2025 Carroll Award for Innovation, Sponsor Award ID: unknown
September 1, 2018 - December 1, 2026 - Improvisation Across Art Forms , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: National Endowment for the Arts: Research Labs, Sponsor Award ID: 1844330-38-C-18
June 17, 2024 - June 17, 2026 - Feasibility and Acceptability Testing of a Culturally Tailored Music Therapy Intervention for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: UCSF School of Nursing Research Committee Intramural Grant, Sponsor Award ID: unknown
September 1, 2023 - May 31, 2024 - Impact of Music Improvisation Training on Brain Function and Cognition among Older Adults , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NIA, Sponsor Award ID: 4R33AG073669-03
Publications
Performance Phenotypes and Early Prognostic Benchmarking After Adult Cochlear Implantation.
Publication Year
2026
Refinement of a piano improvisation training intervention to reduce cognitive inactivity among older adults with and without mild cognitive impairments.
Publication Year
2026
Cross-modal plasticity in a blind jazz pianist and prodigy.
Publication Year
2026