Joseph Stanek is the founder and lead researcher of Tour de Fierce Research, an independent interdisciplinary research initiative based in New York, NY, examining the human voice as a site of embodied cognition, emotional regulation, and meaning-making at the intersection of professional vocal practice, neuroaesthetics, and emerging technologies. His research interests include performance anxiety and autonomic regulation, vocal identity and perception, psychoacoustics, and the relationship between artists and algorithmic AI systems. His research profile is featured by the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Resource Center, connecting scientists, artists, and institutions advancing the NeuroArts field globally.

Stanek is the author of the NeuroArts Expansion Series, a trailblazing monograph sequence deposited on Zenodo under open-access license, advancing named theoretical constructs including Artist-Led Origination, Applied Aesthetic Contexts, Diachronic Aesthetic Knowledge, Reciprocal Embodied Literacy, and the ETUDE framework. His forensic audit of the 2024 International Songwriting Competition, documenting AI-generated entries receiving awards in violation of competition policy, is indexed across major research platforms.

As a performer and producer, Stanek has appeared on Broadway, at Carnegie Hall, and at the Metropolitan Opera, and has produced nationally broadcast television specials for NBC, ABC, and PBS. His work in music education was celebrated at the 2019 GRAMMY on the Hill Awards for Philanthropy.