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 POST DOCS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS
Kasandra Diaz
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.
Brandon Brockshus
Brandon Brockshus is a MS student in Kinesiology at ISU and Recognized Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) Actor/Combatant. Mr. Brockshus has served as fight choreographer for Iowa Stage Theater Company, Shot in the Dark Productions, Central College, and Iowa high schools. His research interests include methods of teaching stage combat and the effects of stage combat training and practice on aging populations. He lives in Stratford, Iowa with his wife, daughter, and son.
Jessy Brown
Jessy Brown is a PhD student in Gerontology. She is a speech-language pathologist and board-certified music therapist. Her research focuses on how singing can help to improve respiratory control in people with PD. She often works internationally with Therapy Abroad, a company she co-founded with her husband. She has two very entertaining children who keep her on her toes.
Crystal Jewell
Crystal Jewell is PhD-track and first-generation student in Neuroscience and Psychology studying the neural and
psychological bases of mindfulness meditation. Crystal also serves as a mindfulness meditation teacher, science
communicator, and Psych Dept Diversity Committee member. In her free time, she enjoys hosting drum circles,
traditional foraging, gardening, dancing to local music with the Ames community, yoga, and cuddling her pet snake
Gyrus.
psychological bases of mindfulness meditation. Crystal also serves as a mindfulness meditation teacher, science
communicator, and Psych Dept Diversity Committee member. In her free time, she enjoys hosting drum circles,
traditional foraging, gardening, dancing to local music with the Ames community, yoga, and cuddling her pet snake
Gyrus.
