From the Dance Floor to the Lab: How Vani Dewan Connects Music and the Mind
By Will Robson | August 2nd, 2026
For Vani Dewan, DJing and neuroscience have never felt like separate worlds. Whether she's behind the decks or conducting research, she's driven by the same question: why does music affect us so deeply?
Her relationship with music began early. Dewan started playing piano at three years old before moving through choir, music theory, a cappella, and musical theater. By the time she arrived at the Claremont Colleges, she was equally fascinated by music itself and the brain that experiences it.
Vani Dewan browses her catalouge while DJing on the coast of Lake Michigan for the Itch Club Picnic July 26th, 2026.
“I’m honestly obsessed with the brain," she says. "I’m also kind of nosey. I want to know what’s going on in people’s heads and what their inner world is like."
As a freshman in college, she began studying the neuroscience of music while simultaneously learning to DJ. She joined her college radio station, where she developed an appreciation for music curation, later becoming involved with the university's DJ collective. A research internship studying musical improvisation further cemented the connection between her academic interests and creative practice.
Today, Dewan is presenting research at the Society for Music Perception and Cognition Conference at Northwestern University in Chicago, sharing findings from her work at USC on how music training changes the brain.
Outside the lab, she's built a growing career as a DJ through persistence rather than luck. Early on, she landed opportunities by cold-emailing artists she admired and pitching herself as an opening act—a strategy she still encourages aspiring DJs to try.
She describes herself as a global-club DJ, constantly searching for sounds from around the world.
“I'm scouting music from all the pockets of the world," she says. "In Los Angeles we have so much Latin music, so I've been discovering subgenres like guaracha, Latin tech, moombahton, and baile funk. I'm also inspired by music from Egypt and Morocco. I'm Indian and South Asian, and there are so many musical connections with Arabic and SWANA traditions. Building across those musical borders creates such a vibe."
Her years of formal musical training continue to shape the way she performs.
“Having a grasp of music theory has really honed my ear when it comes to DJing," she says. “I'm grateful that my ear is that much more tuned to rhythm and pitch."
The relationship works both ways. The more she DJs, the more questions she finds herself asking as a neuroscientist.
“I feel like I'm always creatively inspired by music to have new research questions in neuro," she says. "Music is so inspiring and so abundant—there are so many things I want to look into."
As electronic music continues to diversify, Dewan is also encouraged by the growing visibility of women in the scene.
“It's so awesome to be in a time where there are so many female DJs," she says. "I have so many mentors and role models to look up to and follow the track of their careers."
Whether she's presenting research at a scientific conference or introducing audiences to sounds from across the globe, Dewan's work is rooted in the curiosity of understanding people through music.
