Music and Mental Health Lab Principal Investigator

Description

Music and Mental Health Lab Principal Investigator 

Overview:

The Principal Investigator (PI) will lead a dynamic research program exploring the intersection of music, mental health, wellbeing, and cognitive performance. Responsibilities for this part-time, remote job include refining participant recruitment strategies to maximize both quality and quantity of participants, piloting and evaluating multiple research lines (e.g., meditation, background music, binaural beats, student flourishing), and strategically focusing on the most promising directions. The PI will ensure the lab space fosters both quiet reflection and meaningful social connection, incorporating culturally diverse tools for meditation and interactive screen-free activities. The PI will work closely with the full-time on-site Lab Manager, who is a junior collaborator on research design and student management, to ensure research quality, participant experience, and alignment with the lab’s vision. The PI will also lead coordination of an interdisciplinary summit bringing together a wide range of contributors. The role requires providing oversight during key development milestones — from study design to manuscript preparation — and making strategic decisions for the lab’s future, including potential expansion beyond current grant parameters.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Ensure highest ethical and scientific standards for all research conducted in the Lab
• Select and prioritize research directions that align with both donor and institutional priorities
• Lead primary research milestones, from conception to pre-registration of studies to data collection and manuscript preparation
• Explore opportunities for multicultural psychological research
• Lead the planning and execution of an interdisciplinary summit exploring Sound & Wellness
• Liaise with the Provost and Dean of Faculty to explore integration of Lab activities with Minerva’s academics
• Work with Advancement, Marketing, Communication, and Outreach teams to share information about the Lab
• Present research in both academic and non-academic forums
• Manage Lab space for both experiments and as a location for students to engage in quiet reflection
• Hire and mentor student research interns
• Oversee Lab Manager

Deliverables:

• Help organize Interdisciplinary Summit – Sound and Wellness Summit. Help MU and Jeralyn Glass with the agenda, speakers, and outcomes report (TBA: summer 2026)
• Write up a Research Road Map  outlining 2-3 prioritized research directions (including rationale, feasibility, and impact assessment) by (December 31 2025.
• Mentor MU students interested in research 
• Student research symposium
• Peer-Reviewed Publications – Be in the process of preparing at least 1 manuscript for a journal.
• Conference Presentations – Present findings at least once at an academic (psychology, neuroscience, music cognition) and non-academic (wellbeing, design, education) spaces.
• Integration Plan with Minerva Academics – A proposal on how the lab’s research can enhance teaching, service-learning, or student research opportunities.
• Public-Facing Outputs – Blog posts, podcasts, or short articles (at least 2–3 that translate research for broader audiences)

Requirements

Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic research
• Ability to commit to both the fall and spring semesters
• PhD in psychology, musicology, neuroscience, or other field related to research topics
• Facility with various research methods used in music and mental health research
• Experience leading teams of undergraduate students in research
• Collaborative work style
• Effective communication

Compensation:

25% FTE in both Fall and Spring semesters ($15,953.52/semester)

Application Materials:

Email the following to Andy Dosmann (adosmann@minerva.edu): 

1. a cover letter
2. CV, and 
3. one-page statement of how your previous research relates to music and mental health.