Dr Eduardo Coutinho

I have a long standing interest on the study of the emotional impact of music on listeners.
In particular, I am interested in
- the link between music structure and emotion,
- the types of emotions induced by music,
- the individual and contextual factors that mediate the relationships between music and listeners
- the impact of music in everyday life activities (e.g., exercising, studying, driving, ...)
- the automatic recognition of emotion in music and voice.

One of my main research interests is the application of music in Healthcare (e.g., stroke recovery, treatment of depression) and Eldercare.

In relation to Healthcare, my central aim is to develop a better understanding about the use of music to cope with health challenges (e.g., depression, stroke recovery) and the creation of tools that can empower people to deal with these challenges autonomously. As an example, my current focus is the creation of music recommendation systems for the treatment of Depression Disorders.

In relation to Eldercare, my focus in on improving the well-being and quality of life of dementia patients and their caregivers through music. My main interest is to explore the mechanisms underlying the
positive effects of music on the overall well-being of dementia sufferers as well as the indirect effects on quality of life of their caregivers/family members. In this context, my focus is on on individual meaningful music listening and the exploration of the elicitation of autobiographical memories to help dementia sufferers to recall life experiences and regenerate the sense of empowerment.

These areas of research is central to the APPLIED MUSIC Research Lab, an interdisciplinary research group based at the Department of Music from the University of Liverpool that aims to harness the benefits of music for improving people's lives.

I have a long standing interest in Sound ecology, Automatic Music Composition, Sound Design, Hybrid music systems and Interactive environments. Often I engage in both research and artistic projects in these areas. You can find more information at the APPLIED MUSIC Research Lab and my personal websites.