Rate My Professor Felicity Baker

Professor Felicity Baker is a Professor in Music Therapy at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music within the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Melbourne. She earned her PhD from Aalborg University, Masters by Research from the University of Melbourne, Bachelors Degree with Honours, and Graduate Certificate from the University of Queensland. Her career at the University of Melbourne includes appointment as Professor since January 2016, following her role as Associate Professor from January 2011 to November 2015. During 2011-2015, she held an Australia Research Council Future Fellowship, during which she developed innovative models of therapeutic songwriting. Currently, she serves as Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music and Director of International Research Partnerships for the Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit. Baker has attracted more than $15.5 million in competitive research funding, including as Principal Investigator for Australia on the NHMRC-funded MIDDEL Trial, International Lead Investigator on the NHMRC-funded HOMESIDE Clinical Trial, and Principal Investigator on the Medical Research Future Fund-supported MATCH project focused on music interventions for dementia.

Baker's research specializations encompass music therapy applications, with a primary focus on therapeutic songwriting, caregiver-delivered music interventions for dementia care, and addressing behavioral and psychological symptoms in neurodegenerative conditions. She authored the seminal book Therapeutic Songwriting: Developments in Theory, Methods, and Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) and has produced over 150 publications, including highly cited works such as "Home-based family caregiver-delivered music and reading interventions for people living with dementia (HOMESIDE trial): an international randomised controlled trial" published in eClinicalMedicine (2023), and contributions to trials demonstrating music's efficacy in improving quality of life and relationship quality for those affected by dementia. As Associate Editor of the Journal of Music Therapy, her editorial contributions further her influence in the field. Baker leads international clinical trial networks advancing music therapy evidence, including developments like eHealth tools such as MATCH for community-dwelling individuals with dementia.