HARMONICS: Health, Arts, Research, Medicine, Outcomes, Neuroscience, Innovation, Clinical Science, and Sound
📍University of California, Irvine Student Center, Irvine, CA
📅 October 28–29, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
🎤 In-person event
Join us in Irvine for two days of interdisciplinary exchange at the intersection of music, medicine, and neuroscience.
🎓 CBMT Approved • 14 CMTE Credits for Music Therapists • 🏥 9 CME Credits for Clinicians
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About the Conference
HARMONICS 2026 brings together researchers, clinicians, artists, educators, patients, and innovators to explore the role of music and sound in health, medicine, neuroscience, and clinical practice.
The conference serves as a global platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration across the arts and sciences.
Through keynote lectures, panels, presentations, and posters, the conference highlights emerging evidence and creative approaches that advance understanding of music and sound in health and well-being.
Why attend HARMONICS 2026
🎓 Earn CMTE and CME Credits
🧠 Learn cutting-edge science in music and health
🎵 Engage with global experts across disciplines
🤝 Build interdisciplinary collaborations
🎤 Experience live demonstrations and performances
📊 Explore research-to-clinical translation
Keynote Speakers
Emi Ferguson
Care in Common: Leveraging the Arts for Health Equity
Emi Ferguson is an internationally acclaimed flute player, composer, and singer, and recipient of the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Her albums Fly the Coop: Bach Sonatas and Preludes with Ruckus (2019) and Amour Cruel (2017) both reached the Top 10 on the Classical & World Music Billboard Charts. She was also the first student at The Juilliard School to earn both Undergraduate and Graduate degrees with Scholastic Distinction while simultaneously studying Epidemiology.
Brian Harris
Music by Prescription: The Intersection of Music, Neuroscience, and Technology
Brian Harris is Founder and CEO of MedRhythms, developing neurotherapeutics integrating music, neuroscience, and technology to improve rehabilitation outcomes. He is a board-certified music therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT) Fellow, and built the inpatient NMT program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and co-founded the Arts & Neuroscience Group at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Conference Tracks & Themes
Track 1: Basic and Translational Approaches
Experimental, clinical, and intervention-based studies on the effects of music on health
Track 2: Shaping the Future of Music & Medicine
Digital, technology-driven, and AI-based approaches to music and health
Track 3: Experiential Music in Medicine
Patient experiences, musical performances, and other experiential and therapeutic activities
👉 Full track details available on the Abstract Submission page
Call for Abstracts (Closed)
HARMONICS 2026 invites submissions for oral presentations, poster sessions, and experiential demonstrations aligned with the conference tracks.
📅 Submission Deadline: June 15, 2026
📩 Acceptance Notification: July 15, 2026
📄 Maximum 200-word abstract
Accepted submissions may be presented as oral presentations, posters, experiential sessions, or digital video presentations. The final presentation format is determined by the peer-review committee based on the abstract evaluation criteria.
Who Should Attend
HARMONICS 2026 welcomes:
- Researchers & academic leaders
- Clinicians & healthcare professionals
- Patients & people with lived experiences
- Professional musicians & composers
- Music therapists & educators
- Technologists & innovators
- Students & trainees
📍 Venue
UC Irvine Student Center
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697
A premier interdisciplinary venue supporting collaboration across arts, science, and technology.
🚗 Travel & Directions:
🔗 View directions map
✈ Nearest Airport: John Wayne Airport (SNA)
🗺️ Student Center Maps: View building maps by level
🏨 Accommodation
We have a discounted group rate at Hotel Zessa Orange County Airport (a DoubleTree by Hilton), $169/night, available October 27–29, 2026. Book by September 28, 2026 to receive the group rate. Book your room
Conference Leadership & Committees
Organizing Committee (leadership and execution)
Professor, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Informatics
University of California, Irvine
Senior Research Associate
University of California, Irvine
Advisory Board (scientific and strategic guidance)
Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine
Ronald Reagan Endowed Chair in Geriatric Medicine
University of California, Irvine
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Stanford School of Medicine
Epidemiologist and Research Specialist
Co-director, Center for Trauma and Injury Prevention Research
Department of Emergency Medicine, UCI School of Medicine
Founder | The Self-Care Institute
Lecturer of Music Theory, Composition & Technology
UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Music & Cognitive Science Professional
University of California, Irvine
Owner, Sound Medicine
Research Consultant
University of California Institute of Prediction Technology
Professor, University of Connecticut
Co-Founder & CEO, Oscillo Biosciences
Professor of Music Teaching & Learning
USC Thornton School of Music
Student Committee (support and engagement)
Emergency Medicine Researcher
University of California, Irvine
Undergraduate Student, Public Health Sciences
University of California, Irvine
For questions, please contact:
Sweta Mathur, swetam3@uci.edu
Accreditation Statement
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Designation Statement
The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine designates this Live activity for a maximum of 9 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
California AB 1195 and AB 241
This activity is in compliance with California Assembly Bill 1195 and 241, which require CME activities with patient care components to include curriculum in the subjects of cultural and linguistic competency and implicit bias. It is the intent of AB 1195 and AB 241 to encourage physicians and surgeons, CME providers in the State of California, and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to meet the cultural and linguistic concerns of a diverse patient population and reduce health disparities through appropriate professional development. Please see the CME website, https://www.meded.uci.edu/CME/, for AB 1195 and AB 241 resources.
ADA Statement
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the University of California, Irvine fosters a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for participants with disabilities. This is a campus-wide responsibility and commitment. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request. To request an accommodation, or if you experience difficulty accessing course materials, please contact the activity administrator or email cme@hs.uci.edu as early as possible, and preferably prior to the course date.
Faculty Disclosures
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine Continuing Medical Education adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others, are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Statement of Relationship to CBMT
HARMONICS 2026: The International Conference on Music, Medicine, & Science is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 14 CMTE credits. The Self-Care Institute [P-160] maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.