Want to see how a man with Parkinson’s disease who can barely walk with the aid of a walker minutes before start to walk and even swag without help to the tune of a favorite song. With new techniques in brain mapping, studies are showing a distinct connection between music and brain activity. Music can act like a pace maker to the brain like a pace maker works for the heart.  This discovery has the potential to drastically impact the critical research of devastating brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

An enthusiastic scholar, professor and researcher, Dr. Jacob Mintzer moved to Charleston in 1991 with his wife and has rooted his family here ever since. He serves as the Executive Director of the Clinical Biotechnology Research Institute at Roper St. Francis Healthcare, as well as a professor at the College of Health Professions as MUSC. When he’s not leading the fight against neurological diseases, he can be found listening to any genre of music in his perpetual quest for the rhythm that has seemingly always evaded him. His ultimate goal is to see his beloved community become an international hub for bridging the gap between neuroscience and the arts.