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.