معرفی
Dr. Ruth Herbert is a Senior Lecturer in Music Psychology and Music Performance at the University of Kent, serving as Director of Research and Graduate Studies Lead for the Department of Music & Audio Technology. Her research focuses on music’s role in everyday life, health, consciousness, and education. She holds a BMus/MA from Cardiff University, a PhD from the University of Sheffield, and has held prestigious fellowships at the University of Oxford. Notable roles include leadership in the Experiencing Music project (2012-15) and the Playing A/Part interdisciplinary study. She chairs the University’s Music & Health Research Network and collaborates with medical humanities initiatives. Recognized for teaching excellence with the 2018 Humanities Faculty Teaching Prize, she also serves on editorial boards for journals like Journal of Sonic Studies and Musicae Scientiae. Current projects include the CREATE and FIT initiatives exploring music’s impact on mental health and elite performance.
Education:
- BMus Hons and MA in Performance Practice (Cardiff University)
- PhD in Music Psychology (University of Sheffield)
- Munster Trust Scholarship for postgraduate studies (Royal Academy of Music)
Research Interests: Music psychology, consciousness studies, health/wellbeing, education pedagogy, sonic studies, and evolutionary psychology. Her work bridges empirical research with participatory arts practices, emphasizing subjective experience and transdisciplinary methods.
Grants & Projects:
- CREATE: Transdisciplinary study of adolescent loneliness (Co-I)
- Music, Marbling and Trancing: Multisensory arts project for mental health (Research England)
- FIT: Biofeedback for elite musicians with chronic pain
Labs/Teams: Leads the Music & Health Research Network and collaborates with the Centre for Health and Medical Humanities, fostering arts-humanities integration in healthcare.
