Rebeka Julie Bodak
PhD Mobility Fellow
Department of Clinical Medicine
Aarhus University
rbod@cfin.au.dk
Born a lover of music with a drive to contribute to people’s health and wellbeing, underpinned by an unshakable passion for learning, Rebeka completed a Bachelor of Arts (2001) followed by a Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy (2003) at The University of Queensland in Australia. This enthusiasm was taken forward into the working world in Australia (2004-2008) and the UK (2008-2013), where she was very fortunate to develop her clinical, teaching and research skills in neurorehabilitation, disorders of consciousness, and Huntington’s disease. Having always been curious about the scientific underpinnings of music processing, Rebeka completed the MSc in Music, Mind and Brain (2012) at Goldsmiths, University of London, with the aim of becoming a better-informed clinician. During this time Rebeka explored whether playing musical sequences on a horizontally aligned instrument (chime bars) would bring about clinically significant improvement in chronic neglect during stroke recovery. She was so inspired by the MSc, she felt propelled into pursuing a PhD.
Rebeka has been awarded a PhD Mobility Fellowship from Aarhus University in Denmark. She will explore audio-motor coupling and its applications under the supervision of Prof Peter Vuust at Aarhus University and Dr Lauren Stewart at Goldsmiths, London (Music, Mind and Brain).
Behavioural and neuroimaging research on audio-motor coupling has key implications for the improvement of existing clinical interventions and development of future treatment protocols aimed towards a diverse range of patient groups. A deeper understanding of audio-motor coupling also has the potential to inform music teaching and practising and ontribute to the expanding scientific knowledge base on multimodal integration.
Publications:
Lenton-Smith, G., & Bodak, R. (2010). Book Review: ‘Music Therapy Methods in Neurorehabilitation: A Clinician’s Manual’. Social Care and Neurodisability, 1(2): 56-57.
Bodak, R., Malhotra, P., Bernardi, N. F., Cocchini, G., & Stewart, L. (invited peer reviewed paper submitted). Reducing chronic visuo-spatial neglect following right hemisphere stroke through instrument playing.
Conference presentations:
Bodak, R & O’Kelly, J. (2013). Music therapy assessment tool for advanced Huntington’s disease (MATA HD)
- IX European Music Therapy Congress. Oslo, Norway (oral)
- Society for Music Perception and Cognition. Toronto, Canada (oral, represented by J. O’Kelly)
- Music Therapy Advances in Neuro-disability: Innovations in Research and Practice, London, UK (oral)
Bodak, R., Malhotra, P., Bernardi, N., Cocchini, G., & Stewart, L. (2013). Reducing chronic visuo-spatial neglect following right hemisphere stroke through instrument playing
- Music in the Brain Seminar Series, Aarhus University, Denmark (oral)
- British Neuropsychological Society, Spring Meeting, London, UK (poster)
- Music Therapy Advances in Neuro-disability: Innovations in Research and Practice, London, UK (oral + poster)
Bodak, R. (2010). Outcome measures: An ‘Individual Recording Sheet’ for people living with Huntington’s disease. VIII European Music Therapy Congress, Cadiz (oral)