Dr. Concetta M. Tomaino is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), which she established with renowned neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks. A pioneer in the field of music therapy, Dr. Tomaino has spent nearly five decades advancing the scientific understanding and clinical application of music in neurologic rehabilitation, dementia care, and healthy aging.

A board-certified music therapist with over 40 years of clinical experience, Dr. Tomaino earned master’s and doctoral degrees in Music Therapy from New York University and completed advanced studies in neuroscience at Columbia University. She received her undergraduate degree in science and music from Stony Brook University. Throughout her career, she has helped establish music as an evidence-informed clinical intervention, working at the intersection of neuroscience, rehabilitation medicine, and person-centered care.

Dr. Tomaino is internationally recognized for her research on music and the brain and has lectured extensively throughout the United States and around the world. Her presentations focus on music therapy, neurologic rehabilitation, dementia care, healthy aging, and the growing role of music in healthcare.

She is the author of Music Has Power® in Senior Wellness and Healthcare: Best Practices from Music Therapy (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2023), a practical guide that brings decades of clinical experience and research to healthcare professionals serving older adults. Her work has also been featured in national and international media, including 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, and the BBC, and in numerous books exploring health, healing, and neuroscience. Dr. Oliver Sacks dedicated his bestselling book Musicophilia to her in recognition of their pioneering work together.

In addition to her clinical and research accomplishments, Dr. Tomaino has been a leader in advancing the music therapy profession. She is a Past President of the American Association for Music Therapy, a founding board member and Past Vice President of the International Association for Music and Medicine, and has served as an educator and mentor to generations of clinicians. She was appointed Distinguished Professor of Creative Arts at Concordia College, New York, in 2018 and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Lehman College, City University of New York.

Her contributions have been recognized with numerous national and international honors. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association for Music Therapy, the Award of Accomplishment from Music Therapists for Peace at the United Nations, the Burton Grebin Innovator of the Year Award from the New York Continuing Care Leadership Coalition, the Professional Practice Award from the American Association for Music Therapy, the Music Has Power Award from IMNF, the Zella Bronfman Butler Award from the UJA-Federation of New York, and the Touchstone Award from Women in Music for her visionary leadership. She was also recognized by the National Organization of Italian American Women as one of its “Three Wise Women.” In 2025, she was named to the prestigious Fierce 50 list by Fierce Life Sciences and Healthcare for her innovation at the intersection of music and neuroscience.