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Join us for the 9th International Conference of the IAMM happening virtually - October 22-24th, 2026

We are delighted to invite you to the 2026 IAMM International Conference, to be held virtually from October 22–24, 2026.

This is your opportunity to join colleagues from across the globe as we explore groundbreaking innovations at the intersection of music and medicine. We invite you to share your research, learn from leading experts, and connect with a vibrant international community.

Ready to participate? Explore the conference website and start planning your conference experience. We look forward to welcoming you to this exceptional gathering of research, practice, and collaboration. Register here or provide your address to hear the latest news about the conference:

Aerial Landscape Bangalore Skyscrappers with Large Lake in the Foreground
Aerial Landscape Bangalore Skyscrappers with Large Lake in the Foreground

About Our Organization

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The International Association for Music & Medicine (IAMM) is a registered non-profit organization formed in 2009 to encourage and support the use of music in medical contexts including research into the benefits of music, and its specialized applications in healthcare. IAMM is a global community of multi-disciplinary professionals and learners who work at the intersection of music and medicine/health. The organization currently provides virtual seminars, events, and interactive forums, in addition to an international conference every two years.

Speakers

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Music as a Cognitive Scaffold: Enhancing Attention and Executive Functions in Neurorehabilitation

Attention and executive functions are the brain’s “control systems” — higher-order cognitive processes that enable goal-directed behavior, regulation, planning, monitoring, and adaptive functioning. These domains are among the most common, persistent, and debilitating consequences of neurological disorders, significantly activities of daily living, participation, and overall quality of life. Addressing attention and executive dysfunction is central to neuropsychological rehabilitation because these functions strongly influence overall functional outcomes.

Over the years, research in music and cognition has contributed substantially to our understanding of these complex cognitive processes. Music is a highly sophisticated, temporally unfolding, and structurally organized phenomenon that engages widespread neural networks across sensory, motor, emotional, attentional, and executive systems. Research in music cognition has fundamentally reshaped how neuroscience conceptualizes attention in time and the dynamic organization of executive processes.

Building on this growing understanding of shared neural mechanisms, music-based interventions have increasingly been used to specifically target cognitive functions, opening new frontiers in neurorehabilitation. Such interventions leverage rhythm, timing, prediction, sequencing, auditory-motor coupling, and emotional engagement to facilitate cognitive recovery and functional adaptation.

In this lecture, I will share findings from some of our studies in music cognition, with a specific focus on attention and executive functions in selected neurological conditions. I will also discuss how future music-based interventions can be designed not only on principles derived from neuroscience, but also through culturally contextualized approaches, enabling the development of more holistic, accessible, and ecologically meaningful rehabilitation programs.

Shantala Hegde, Professor (Clinical Neuropsychology), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)

Dr. Shantala Hegde is a Professor and Consultant Neuropsychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. She is a consultant at the Clinical Neuropsychology Unit and Consultant in-charge at the Neurorehabilitation Services Unit, specializing in neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, and the intersections of cognition, emotion, and neuroscience.

As a Principal Investigator and Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Clinical and Public Health Intermediate Fellow, she is at the forefront of research in neuromusicology, cognitive neuroscience, and clinical neuropsychology. Her work has been featured in the Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance Fellow Spotlight Story for its innovative contributions to the field.

Dr. Hegde holds secondary affiliations as an Adjunct Professor with the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, and has served as a Visiting Assocaite Professor and Visiting Scientist in the at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

​Beyond her clinical and academic roles, Dr. Hegde is also a trained Hindustani classical vocalist, continuing her musical journey under the guidance of Smt. Bharathi Prathap of the Agra Atrauli Gharana. She has composed and sung for the music album ‘Uma Sahasram’, blending her passion for music and cognitive science.

The Science of Singing Together: Social Connection, Communication, and Health

Group singing is increasingly recognized as a promising approach for enhancing wellbeing, strengthening social bonds, and supporting communication across the lifespan. Drawing on insights from the SingWell Project, this keynote reviews emerging evidence that singing together can reduce stress and support health through interconnected psychological, biological, and communicative pathways. Findings from SingWell and related initiatives suggest that group singing may improve aspects of vocal production in conditions affecting communication, while also supporting auditory and cognitive function in older adulthood. Studies have linked group singing with reductions in cortisol, increases in oxytocin, enhanced pain tolerance, and greater social connectedness. Importantly, communication challenges, social isolation, and health outcomes are deeply intertwined, particularly in aging and neurological disease. This presentation highlights how inclusive singing-based interventions may offer accessible, community-centered approaches to promoting resilience, social participation, and healthy aging.

Professor Frank A. Russo, PhD, Toronto Metropolitan University

Frank A. Russo, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University and Scientific Director of the SingWell Project, an international research initiative examining the health and social benefits of group singing. He also holds appointments as Status Professor in the Faculties of Music and Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto and Affiliate Scientist at the KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. An internationally recognized leader in auditory cognitive neuroscience and music-based health interventions, Dr. Russo’s research explores how singing supports communication, brain health, and social connection across the lifespan. His work integrates neuroscience, psychology, and rehabilitation science to develop scalable, evidence-based interventions that translate into real-world impact. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association and the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science, and a Senior Fellow of Massey College.

The Infant as Cyborg and the Thalamic Key: Clinical Neuromusicology, Creative AI, Music Therapy and Neonatal and Paediatric Neurology

Each year, approximately 15 million infants are born preterm worldwide. While advances in neonatology have dramatically improved survival, the field is increasingly focused on the quality of neurodevelopmental outcomes. This keynote reframes premature birth not only as a medical event, but as a sensory disruption. The womb provides a rhythmic, hormonally regulated, multisensory environment calibrated for neural development; the NICU, though life-saving, introduces intermittent light, mechanical noise, and fragmented sensory input during a period of profound brain plasticity.

Neonatal care must be understood as a project of sensory continuity. Drawing on sensory neuroscience and prenatal physiology, it proposes that principles of rhythm, buffering, and graded stimulation can guide environmental design in intensive care. Within this framework, sonological engineering and music therapy emerge as key translational disciplines: one shaping acoustic architecture intentionally, the other delivering adaptive, entrained, parent-centered interventions that support autonomic stability and early sensory integration. Together, they reposition sound from background noise to a structured developmental tool, shifting NICU care from survival alone toward developmental stewardship.

Dr Artur C Jaschke: University of Cambridge, Evelyn Perinatal Imaging Centre, Rosie Childrens Hospital Cambridge, University Medical Centre Groningen NICU, ArtEZ University of the Arts

Artur C Jaschke explores the field of clinical neuromusicology and music-based therapies and interventions and is particularly known for his research on the effects of music on the brain, especially in clinical populations such as neonates and children. He holds academic and research positions, including senior clinical research fellow at the Evelyn Perinatal Imaging Centre at the Rosie Childrens Hospital Cambridge and the University Medical Center Groningen as well as Lector at ArtEZ University of the Arts and The University of Cambridge. He authored the book Mind the Music, which explores the impact of improvisation and music on cognition, emotion and behaviour, has recently edited the book Ecologies of Neonatal Clinical Neuromusicology Music-based Therapies and Interventions, AI and Active Noise Control in the NICU with Springer Nature and has contributed research on music interventions in healthcare settings, such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Heard but not present: Pathophysiology of prediction and adaptation

In a continuously changing environment, we rely on prior knowledge to evaluate actual against expected sensations (predictions) and adapt to mismatches between these sensations. Pathological changes in the auditory system (e.g., deafferentation in tinnitus, aberrant sensory feedback in auditory verbal hallucinations) might lead to new default predictions that show as altered suppression and/or enhancing irrelevant sound. I will present animal and human studies on tinnitus and auditory hallucinations as examples of adaptive distortions in tone and voice processing. These data showcase the critical contribution of cortico-cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuitry in maintaining and adjusting predictions.

Sonja Kotz, Prof. Dr., Maastricht University

Sonja Kotz is a Professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Her research team investigates how timing and rhythmicity shape action, perception, and speech/music processing, using peripheral and neuroimaging measures. She holds honorary professorships at the University of Leipzig and Lisbon, is affiliated with BRAMS in Montreal and the Max Planck Insitute for Human Cogntive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig. She is a senior/associate editor for several journals (e.g., Imaing Neuroscience, NBL). Find out more about her lab @ http://www.band-lab.com.

Findings of 'It's Time to Talk: Mental Health in the Indian Music Industry'

While music is positioned as engendering significant health impacts for some, those who pursue careers as musicians suffer from elevated rates anxiety, depression and suicidality compared to the general public in studies which have, to date, predominated in Europe and the United States (see scoping review by Kegelaers and Gibney, 2025; Musgrave, 2023). This keynote presents the findings of ‘It’s Time to Talk’, a groundbreaking international collaboration to ascertain both the incidence and determinants of mental health and wellbeing outcomes among musicians and music industry professionals working in India. Drawing on a robust dataset (n=706) and exploring the predictors of anxiety and depression (screened using PHQ-4), wellbeing, (Cantril’s ladder) and suicidality (SBQ-R), as well as the treatment gaps, these findings offer the first insight into the psychosocial lives of these Indian creative workers. The keynote offers important next steps forward for mental health provision among this population.

Dr. George Musgrave FRSPH, Goldsmiths (University of London)

Dr George Musgrave (FRSPH, FRSA, FHEA) is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Cultural Sociology and Creative Industries at Goldsmiths, University of London. His research examines the psychosocial conditions of contemporary working lives through sustained empirical research in the music industry. His work explores how performance culture, identity, insecurity, and work design shape experiences of pressure and endurance in creative careers

Music, Individual, and Context: Towards an Integrated Framework of Well-Being

Music is widely recognized as a powerful tool for enhancing well-being, with extensive research highlighting its therapeutic benefits. However, emerging evidence suggests that music listening is not universally beneficial; certain listening strategies may be maladaptive, leading to undesirable emotional or psychological outcomes. These effects are shaped by individual differences, such as personality, emotional regulation styles, and sensitivity, as well as contextual factors that influence how music is experienced and hence determine outcomes. This talk explores the interplay between music, the individual, and context in shaping well-being outcomes. It argues for a more nuanced perspective that goes beyond music itself, emphasizing the importance of examining listeners’ predispositions, their interaction with the environment, and their broader coping mechanisms. By situating the musical experience within this larger framework, the keynote aims to offer a more reflective understanding of how we evaluate music’s role in supporting well-being and develop intervention models that can be empirically evaluated.

Vinoo Alluri, Assistant Professor, International Institute of Information Technology

Dr. Vinoo Alluri is an Assistant Professor at the Cognitive Science Lab at the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad, India and heads the Music Cognition Group there. She has a background in Electronics and Communication Engineering, after which she pursued a Masters in Music Engineering Technology at the University of Miami, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Her work is highly interdisciplinary involving music psychology, music information retrieval, and neuroscience. Currently she is working on projects that examine music listening habits on online streaming platforms and social media in relation to individual differences and mental health. Other ongoing projects focus on the interpretability of artificial auditory neural networks and the generation of music to enhance narrative experiences of books. More information can be found here: https://mcgiiit.com/about

Listening Across Worlds: Music, Culture, and Care in International Health Contexts

Responding to the 2026 theme, “Shaping Cultural Dialogues within Music & Medicine,” this keynote explores how music mediates encounters between culture, care, and human experience across global healthcare contexts. Drawing upon clinical, academic, and intercultural work across Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States—as well as leadership as former Chair of the World Federation of Music Therapy Global Crisis Intervention Commission—the presentation reflects on music not simply as intervention, but as a relational and cultural practice capable of fostering trust, dialogue, and human connection across difference.

Bridging music therapy, music medicine, and cultural diplomacy, the keynote examines tensions between standardized evidence and culturally situated care, arguing for more plural, humane, and ethically grounded approaches to healthcare integration. Ultimately, it positions music as both a clinical resource and a powerful medium for intercultural understanding within an increasingly fragmented world.

Dr. Indra Selvarajah, Programme Leader MA Music Therapy, Lasalle University of the Arts Singapore

Dr. Indra Selvarajah (PhD, Florida State University, USA; MA Music, University of Wales, UK) is Programme Leader of Singapore’s first MA in Music Therapy at LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore. A Malaysian-born music therapist with over two decades of international clinical, academic, and leadership experience across Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, and the USA, her work focuses on medical music therapy, intercultural practice, and the integration of music within healthcare systems.

Dr. Selvarajah recently served on the Council of the World Federation of Music Therapy, chaired its Global Crises Intervention Commission, and was appointed to its Constitution & Bylaws Revision Task Force. She is Founding President of the Malaysian Music Therapy Association and former Secretary-General and Vice-President of the Malaysian Society for Music in Medicine. Her work advances culturally responsive and evidence-informed approaches to music, health, and well-being across Southeast Asia and international contexts.

We are committed to keeping conference fees accessible to all participants. Please note that non-member registration costs the same as becoming a member and registering at the member rate—so we encourage you to join and take advantage of member benefits beyond this conference.

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Nonmember Fees
Member Fees
Member Fees
Registration Type Early Bird Price Regular Price
Member Fee Online $175.00 $225.00
Member Reduced* Fee Online $60.00 $110.00
Member Student Fee Online $30.00 $80.00

*Please note that retired individuals, unemployed participants, and those from Global South countries qualify for a reduced registration fee. You may be asked to provide proof of your status during the check-in process.

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Nonmember registration costs the same as joining and paying membership conference fees. Learn more and join at iammonline.com/join-us.

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Important Dates to Note

Call for Submission opens: October 10th, 2025

Paper Submission Deadline: January 10th, 2026

Notification of Acceptance: March 10th, 2026

Early Bird Conference Registration Deadline: April 15th, 2026

Conference Dates: October 22 - 24, 2026

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities

Sponsorship plays a pivotal role in guaranteeing that the conference delivers the scientific guidance, information, and inspiration necessary to uphold music as central in medicine and health. This vital support ensures an unparalleled experience. Sponsorships can promote opportunities to host special guests of high scientific merit, increase accessibility through translation of presentations, support operational expenses and subsidize registration fees. We enthusiastically invite sponsors committed to advancing music and health initiatives through academic, clinical, or research endeavors.

Why partner with us

  • As a sponsor, your organization/facility will have high visibility among international experts within the field of music, medicine, and health.
    Advertising opportunities let you reach leaders, researchers, and practitioners in the field. This includes IAMM members and stakeholders via social media sites, membership newsletters, and program materials.
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Conference Main Topics

Building upon the success of previous IAMM conferences, this year's event was driven by the overarching theme, "Shaping Cultural Dialogues within Music and Medicine."

The five main topics of our conference:

Main Topics-10

Cultural Frameworks and Global Perspectives

This theme encompasses the role of music in health and care practices with particular emphasis on cultural frameworks from India and around the world. It includes global and regional perspectives on embedding music within healthcare, examining the structural and cultural considerations necessary for healthcare reform that integrates diverse musical healing traditions.

Main Topics-09

Research Methodologies and Evidence Systems

This theme addresses research methodologies that integrate diverse understandings of music, medicine, and evidence across local and global contexts. It focuses on developing approaches that can honor different knowledge systems and create comprehensive frameworks for studying music-health practices across varied cultural settings. It includes the importance of clarity in reporting music-based interventions and highlights guidelines to this effect.

Main Topics-08

Music-based Interventions and Music Therapy

This theme covers music-based interventions and music therapy, as they are developed, adapted, and evaluated in response to the needs and values of specific communities. It includes education and training models that support contextually grounded, culturally informed professional development, as well as collaborative initiatives that draw from multiple knowledge systems to strengthen music-and-medicine practices in varied healthcare settings.

Main Topics-07

Social Impact and Healthcare Integration

This theme explores broader reflections on the societal value of music in health, particularly how it fosters connection, inclusion, and responsive care. It encompasses the systematic integration of music within healthcare settings and examines the transformative potential of music-based approaches for creating more inclusive and community-responsive healthcare systems

Main Topics-06

Intercultural Dialogues in Music and Medicine

This theme highlights opportunities for intercultural engagement in music and medicine, creating spaces for dialogue, exchange, and experiential learning across diverse cultural traditions. It emphasises understanding the historical and cultural significance of different musical practices, fostering appreciation of their therapeutic value, and encouraging their use in ways that are respectful, informed, and grounded in their origins. By facilitating collaborative exploration, this theme seeks to promote cross-cultural learning while supporting ethical and contextually sensitive practices in music and healthcare.

The call for abstracts is now closed. You can register here now.

Conference Committee

Conference Co-Chairs

Suzanne Hanser

Purvaa Sampath

Conference Organizing Committee

Robert Linton Tavis Ashton

Shantala Hegde

Vera Brandes

Jennifer Townsend

Samuel Gracida

Scientific Committee

Alexander Pantelyat
Ali Rigby
Amy Clements-Cortes
Andrés Salgado
Andrew Rossetti
Athanasios Dritsas
Ayelet Dassa
Bhuvaneswari Chandrasekar
Camila Siqueira Gouvea Acosta Goncalves
Christos Sideras
Clare O’Callaghan
Claudia Zanini
Cynthia Standley
Dorothee von Moreau
Efthymios Papatzikis

Elizabeth Coombes
Emmeline Edwards
Erik Baumann
Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz
Farah Husain
Ferol Carytsas
Frank Russo
Giorgos Tsiris
Indra Selvarajah
Jenita Caren Rajakumari
Joanne Loewy
Juan Pedro Zambonini
Katrina McFerran
Katie Overy
Kezia Putri

Marija Pranjic
Mark Ettenberger
Melissa Mercadal-Brotons
Michael Silverman
Nsamu Moonga
Patravoot Vatanasapt
Patsy Tan
Purvaa Sampath
Saoirse Finn
Sheri Robb
Sonja Kotz
Sun Sun Yap
Susan Mandel
Thomas Ostermann
Vinoo Alluri
Xi-Jing Chen

FAQ

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