Dawn Iwamasa, PhD, CCLS, MT-BC (NICU-MT), is an Assistant Professor in Music Education/Music Therapy at the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory. She earned a Bachelor’s of Music in flute performance and a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from the University of the Pacific and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education with an emphasis in Music Therapy from Florida State University.

Throughout her 20 years as a medical music therapist, Dr. Iwamasa gained considerable experience in the pediatric hospital setting. Additionally, she has practiced in behavioral health programs and with a variety of other populations such as adults with disabilities and individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. She has taught undergraduate and graduate students in a wide array of courses in both the music therapy and child life disciplines as well as human development and family studies. Dr. Iwamasa’s research focuses on the intersection between policy decision-making and the practice of music therapy. She has an additional interest in healthcare datamining and its implications for outcomes research in music therapy.