Edward A. Roth, Ph.D., MT-BC has been a music therapist since 1993 and is a passionate educator, scientist, therapist, and musician who currently serves in multiple roles at the University of Houston (UH) (see above). Prior to coming to UH, Dr. Roth was at Western Michigan University (WMU) where he served as the Director of Music Therapy, Assistant Dean at the College of Fine Arts, Associate Faculty of the Resiliency Center for Families and Children, and Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the Homer E. Stryker School of Medicine where he led a Special Interest Group in Neurology and Music. He was the founding director of the Brain Research and Interdisciplinary Neurosciences Laboratory (BRAIN Lab).

He earned his Ph.D. from WMU where his dissertation examined the neurochemistry and phenomenology of instrumental improvisation as they relate to anxiety, trust, shared flow, and empathy. His Master of Music degree was from Colorado State University under the supervision of Dr. Michael Thaut where he also worked as a Graduate Assistant at the Center for Biomedical Research in Music.

Dr. Roth has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in music therapy and music neuroscience since 2000. He has taught internationally at universities in Barcelona, Spain, Brisbane, Australia, and recently directed a study abroad experience at the Escola Superior de Música de Cataluña, Barcelona. His contributions extend beyond academia, as he is a presenter at national and international science and medical conferences, appears consistently in print, video, and radio media outlets, and his research is published widely in prestigious scholarly journals. He has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Music Therapy and has been an external reviewer for dozens of articles related to neurologic rehabilitation, mental health, neuroscience methodologies, and music therapy.

Ed has worked clinically with pediatric, adolescent, and adult individuals facing neurological, medical, and mental health challenges at University of Michigan Medicine (Ann Arbor, MI), Blythedale Children’s Hospital, (Valhalla, NY), Columbine high school (Littleton, CO), and at various clinics, schools, and hospitals.

Dr. Roth is committed to improving individual lives and community health through the synergy of music, music therapy, and neuroscience.