This episode explores Music and the Brain with our guest, Dr. Michael Kaplan. We discuss the definition of music, changes in the brains of musicians, and the universality of music!

Dr. Kaplan has been associated with Penn for over 20 years as a graduate student, a postdoctoral fellow, and most recently as a Lecturer and Lab Coordinator for the Biological Basis of Behavior (BBB) Program. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he graduated from Wesleyan University with degrees in biochemistry and philosophy, then sojourned in New York City to dabble in the music business, where he wrote non-hit songs with titles like “Brain in a Jar.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, he ended up back in science. His research at Penn has focused on synaptic plasticity, both short-term (with Dr. Marc Dichter) and long-term (with Dr. Ted Abel). He is the Master of Ceremonies and head zookeeper at the Neurolab, an undergraduate teaching lab for electrophysiology and computer simulations. Dr. Kaplan has won the BBB Society Teaching Award and was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by Affiliated Faculty in 2009. He teaches The Neuroscience of Music.