Julian Silva is a percussionist, composer, arranger, director and founder of La Excelencia,
a New York-based Latin salsa band.
Julian has spent the past 9 years working
in cancer research in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the
Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Most recently,
his research has focused on the psychosocial effects of cancer diagnosis
and treatment, and the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral therapy
intervention for bone marrow and stem cell transplant survivors suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Julian holds a Bachelor of Science Degree
in Psychology from Louisiana State University. He is a first-year
graduate student at NYU Steinhardt in the Music Therapy program. He believes in the power of music as an effective platform for dialogue, and is dedicated
to utilizing music as a catalyst for social change and expression.