Sound and Music in Dementia
Sound and Music Processing in Dementia
- Project Supervisors: Dr Jennifer MacRitchie and Prof Jon Barker
- Partner: Age UK Sheffield
- Host: University of Sheffield
- Project Reference: Sh.27.6
- Mode of Attendance: Full-time; eligible UK home-fees applicants may request consideration for part-time study by the supervisory team
Funded EPSRC CDT studentship for 2027 entry.
Application Deadline: 11 January 2027, 10:00 GMT
Project Outline
For people living with dementia, busy sound environments can make social activities overwhelming. This project will explore responses to sound and music and investigate ways to make listening more comfortable while supporting participation in community life.
Further project information
Working with organisations supporting people living with dementia, including Age UK Sheffield and the JoJanGles music focus group, the research will examine behavioural responses to musical and other sounds. These observations will guide personalised approaches to audio processing.
Possible directions include models that anticipate auditory overload and processing for hearable devices that reduces distressing background sounds while retaining speech, safety cues and wanted music. See the full Sound Futures project advert for further information.
Required qualifications/skills
An undergraduate degree at 2:1 or above, or a relevant master's degree, is required. Applicants with interests or experience in psychology, signal processing or computer science are encouraged to apply. Candidates should be keen to learn across disciplines; relevant experience can come from outside formal study.
How to Apply
Application Deadline: 11 January 2027, 10:00 GMT
This four-year studentship is funded through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Sound Futures, with tuition fees, a stipend and research training support. For current funding details and application instructions, visit the Sound Futures CDT application page. Applications are handled by the CDT through the University of Salford; the project is based at the University of Sheffield.