Picture
Dr. Elizabeth Stegemöller is the lab director.  She is a music therapist and neuroscientist. She joined Iowa State University in 2013 and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology. She is also the director of the Graduate Neuroscience Program at Iowa State University. Dr. Stegemöller’s main research focus is to determine how music and/or music therapy facilitates movement and modulates associated brain activity in persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD).  She currently has multiple funded projects and has over 40 publications in her young career. Along with her research, Dr. Stegemöller offers several outreach programs for persons with PD, including weekly singing, dance, yoga, and boxing groups, and well as yearly events such as the PD Singing Festival. Dr. Stegemöller is very passionate about her work and hopes that through her research and outreach efforts, she can contribute to the development of new and innovated therapies involving music that improve the treatment and care of persons with Parkinson's Disease.

CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS

Picture
  Andrew Zaman
Andrew is a PhD student in Kinesiology and Psychology. His work focuses on understanding the effects of stress on cognitive and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. He is a skilled yoga instructor and leads the yoga outreach program.
Picture
  Patricia Izbicki
​Patricia is a PhD student in Neuroscience. Her research focuses on understanding how music experience and training impact motor and cognitive inhibition in both young and healthy older adults. Patricia was a co-charing a symposium with Dr. Stegemoller on music and the brain at Society for Neuroscience, and was responsible for establishing the Ames Public Piano Project.
Picture
  Kasandra Diaz-Santana
Kasandra Diaz is a  PhD student in Neuroscience. Her research focuses on understanding how dopamine impacts peripheral inflammation in persons with PD. Kasandra is also an advocate for the multicultural community and is highly involved with the multicultural program at Iowa State University.
Picture
Gabrielle Woods
Gabrielle is a MS student in the Gerontology program. Her interest lie in improving self-care in caregivers of those with neurodegenerative diseases. Gabrielle is also the leader of the boxing and yoga outreach groups.