Indre Viskontas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Indre Viskontas
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| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles, PhD (2006); San Francisco Conservatory of Music, MM (2008) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience, opera |
| Institutions | San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of California, San Francisco, University of San Francisco |
Indre Viskontas is a scientist from Lithuania and Canada. She studies the brain, so she's a neuroscientist. She's also a talented opera singer, known as a soprano.
She earned her Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in brain science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also has a Master's degree in opera. Today, she teaches psychology at the University of San Francisco. She also teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She helps lead the Pasadena Opera as its Creative Director.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Indre Viskontas's parents moved from Lithuania to Canada after World War II. Indre grew up in Toronto, Canada.
Exploring the Brain: Indre's Scientific Work
Indre Viskontas is very interested in how our brains work. Her research looks at how we remember things. She also studies how we think and how we understand who we are.
Brain Research and Creativity
She also studies how creative people's brains work. This includes people who have brain diseases. She uses special tools to look at the brain. These tools help her see how different parts of the brain are used.
For example, she uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This shows which brain areas are active. She also studies patients with brain conditions. These include Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. She has written over 50 articles about her research.
Helping People Hear Music
One of her cool projects helps people with cochlear implants. These implants help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Indre teaches them how to sing. This helps them enjoy music more.
She works with the Memory and Aging Program. This program is at the University of California at San Francisco. She also helps edit a science magazine called Neurocase.
Indre's Musical Journey: Opera and More
Indre Viskontas grew up with music. Her father was a choir conductor. She started singing in choirs when she was just 5 years old. She loved opera from a young age. When she was 11, she performed for the Canadian Opera Company.
She kept studying music while she was getting her Ph.D. in brain science. After finishing her Ph.D. at UCLA, she went to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She earned her Master's degree in music there in 2008. She was the top student in her class.
Performing Opera Roles
As a soprano, Indre has sung many opera roles. She played Beth in Little Women. She was also Kate in Frobisher. She performed as Heart's Desire in The Rose of Persia. She also sang Aurelia in Dioclesian.
She performs with music groups in San Francisco. She also helped start Vocallective. This group helps share vocal chamber music. She is also a co-founder of Opera on Tap. This group wants to make opera popular. They want it to be as easy to find as pop music.
Directing Operas
Indre is also the Creative Director for Pasadena Opera. She directed an opera there. It was called The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. This opera was based on a real story about a patient.
Sharing Science: Media and Appearances
Indre Viskontas uses her performance skills to teach people about science. She gives online talks. She also hosts podcasts and a TV show.
Television and Podcasts
She co-hosted a TV show called Miracle Detectives. It was on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. The show looked at claims of amazing healing. It also explored other reported miracles. Indre's goal was to help people think carefully about what they believe.
In 2012, she co-hosted a podcast called Point of Inquiry. Later, she started a new podcast called Inquiring Minds. The first episode came out in 2013.
Indre has also appeared on many TV shows. These include The Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN. She has also been on other podcasts. These include This Week in Science.
Conferences and Talks
She has spoken at science conferences. She talked about skepticism and the media at CSICon in 2011. She also spoke about memory and belief at CSICon in 2012.
She has appeared on radio shows too. These include NPR's City Arts & Lectures. In 2017, she co-hosted a web series called Science in Progress.
Books by Indre Viskontas
In 2019, Indre Viskontas wrote a book. It is called How Music Can Make You Better. In the book, she explains how music affects our brains. She also talks about how it affects our bodies and society. She shares how music can help us in many ways. This includes helping us see, hear, and even heal.
