Sara Ascenso

Dr. Sara Ascenso is a Lecturer in Musicians' Health and Wellbeing at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). She holds a BMus in piano performance, an MSc and PhD in Occupational Health Psychology, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Her research focuses on musicians' wellbeing, occupational health, and arts & health interventions, particularly in vulnerable populations such as refugees and mental health service users. She has also contributed to developing HE curricula addressing musicians' mental health and work orientation.

Key research areas include positive psychology applications, performance psychology, and community music engagement. Her work spans peer-reviewed articles in Frontiers in Psychology, Psychology of Music, and Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Current projects explore work meaning, resilience, and basic psychological needs in creative industries.

Dr. Ascenso has pioneered studies on group drumming’s impact on mental health and co-led projects like the Lullaby Project for refugee communities. She holds additional roles as an Honorary Lecturer at University College London and visiting faculty at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and the Royal College of Music.

Funding partners include the AHRC, Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and Arts Council England. Her 2022 research highlights digital health tools for fatigue monitoring and rethinking musicians' wellbeing in uncertain contexts.