EDWARD ROTH

Dr. Roth has been a music therapist since 1993 and is a passionate educator, scientist, therapist, and musician. He serves multiple roles at the University of Houston, where he is the Aspire Initiative and Alice and Fletcher Pratt Endowed Director and Professor of Music Therapy, and Professor at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
He earned his Ph.D. from Western Michigan University (WMU) where his research examined the neurochemistry and phenomenology of instrumental and vocal 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. He completed the Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy at WMU.

Prior to coming to UH, Dr. Roth taught undergraduate and graduate courses in music therapy and music neuroscience at WMU 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, in Barcelona. Dr. Roth's contributions extend beyond academia, as he is a respected 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, and music therapy.

Dr. Roth’s clinical expertise includes work with 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 as a consulting therapist at various clinics, schools, and hospitals.

He specializes in the use of mixed methodology research and his current focus is on the clinical application and neurobiology of music for people living with addiction and broader mental health challenges, as well as their families and extended support networks.

He was the founding director of the Brain Research and Interdisciplinary Neurosciences Laboratory at WMU where he led an interprofessional team of researchers from multiple departments and universities including health, therapy, rehabilitation, and medicine. He and his team implemented a wide range of externally and internally funded research incorporating diverse neuroscientific approaches to investigating music therapy.

Dr. Roth served as Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the Homer E. Stryker School of Medicine, advocating for the integration of music therapy into medical practice, overseeing a Special Interest Group in Neurology, and developing coursework for 4th-year medical students.

Dr. Roth's commitment to improving individual lives and community health through the synergy of music and neuroscience resonates both within and beyond the University of Houston. His work stands as transformative in the fields of music therapy, healthcare, and scientific research.