Singing meets science
Ella Dubinsky, Psychology MA
Ella Dubinsky’s research could improve the quality of life and happiness of aging adults around the world – in a way that’s fun and feels good.
Based in TMU’s SMART (external link, opens in new window) (Science of Music, Auditory Research, and Technology) Lab, the Psychology master’s student is using singing to recalibrate seniors’ neurological processes. When people sing, they create a quick feedback loop as they hear their own voices. Dubinsky believes this strengthens neuronal circuits, and her research reveals improvements in hearing and pitch detection.
Dubinsky’s work has already captured the public’s imagination. She placed in the top three and won the Participants’ Choice Award at the Ontario Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition, and represented the university at the national 3MT (external link, opens in new window) ®.
“Everyone at TMU has been so supportive every step of the way, especially my supervisor Dr. Frank Russo, [Graduate Program Director] Dr. Julia Spaniol and [Graduate Program Administrator] Alicia VanDeWeghe,” says Dubinsky, who will commence PhD studies at TMU this fall. “They are all wonderful and I couldn’t do it without them.”
At TMU (formerly the university), we support graduate students in making a difference through groundbreaking research.
Photo credit: Arthur Mola