It was a Monday morning like any other in Evanston, Illinois, until it wasn't. Around 9 a.m. on September 1, 2025, Dr. Nina Kraus, the world-renowned Northwestern University neurobiologist, stepped out of her home on the 1500 block of Ashland Avenue for her usual walk.
She didn't take her phone.
By that evening, the academic community and the quiet suburb of Evanston were in a full-blown panic. Professor Nina Kraus missing wasn't just a local headline; it was a code red for anyone who follows the science of sound and the brain.
The Search for the "Sound Mind" Scientist
If you’ve ever looked into how music changes the brain, you know Nina Kraus. She’s basically the "rock star" of auditory neuroscience. At 72, she’s known for being incredibly fit and a constant presence in her neighborhood. When an hour turned into five, and five turned into ten, her family knew something was wrong.
Her son, Mikey Perkins, and daughter-in-law, Hannah Geil-Neufeld, were the first to sound the alarm. Honestly, the lack of a cellphone is what made everyone extra jumpy. We live in an age where "going off the grid" for a walk is a luxury, but for a 72-year-old walking alone, it’s a massive vulnerability.
What the Evanston Police Did
The response was fast.
Real fast.
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- Drones: The Evanston Police Department deployed drones to scan the Lake Michigan waterfront.
- K9 Units: Ground teams and dogs combed the local parks and residential streets.
- Community Effort: Neighbors started taping "Missing" posters to every light pole from Church Street to the lakefront.
For 24 hours, the narrative was grim. People were speculating about everything from accidents on the rocky shore to medical emergencies. Northwestern University even put out an official statement, basically asking the entire Chicago area to keep their eyes peeled for a woman with long silver hair and a dark backpack.
The Twist: Found in Plain Sight
On Tuesday afternoon, September 2, the search ended. But not because a drone spotted her or a K9 caught a scent.
A neighbor, Laura Bainbridge, was part of a group of residents who decided to just... look. Sometimes the high-tech stuff misses what’s right in front of you. Kraus was found behind some large trees and thick bushes in a front-yard garden.
The kicker? It was literally one door down from her own house.
When the neighbor called her name, Kraus answered. She was alive. She was whisked away on a stretcher to a local hospital, and the neighborhood erupted into what Bainbridge described as "shrieking and crying" out of pure relief.
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Why This Story Hit Different
Usually, when a high-profile professor goes missing, people think "foul play." But Commander Ryan Glew of the Evanston Police was quick to clarify that no foul play was ever suspected.
Kraus is the director of the Brainvolts Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. She’s spent her life studying how the brain processes sound and how experiences like music or concussion change our neural circuitry. The irony of a woman who understands the brain better than almost anyone else getting "lost" or stuck so close to home wasn't lost on the scientific community.
It’s a reminder that even for the most brilliant minds, the physical world is unpredictable.
The Current Status of Dr. Nina Kraus
Since that scare in late 2025, things have largely returned to normal in the Brainvolts lab. Kraus is still the Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology at Northwestern. Her 2021 book, Of Sound Mind, remains a staple for anyone interested in why sound matters.
If you're looking for her today, she's back to:
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- Directing her lab's research on hearing health.
- Advocating for music education in schools.
- Studying the impact of concussions on Division I athletes.
Lessons from the Search
We can learn a lot from how this played out. First, if you have an older family member who loves solo walks, GPS wearables that don't require a phone (like certain smartwatches or AirTag setups) are literal lifesavers.
Second, never underestimate the "analog" search. Drones are great for the lakefront, but they can't see through a thick garden bush. It was a human being calling out a name that finally brought Nina Kraus home.
Practical Steps for Families
- Check the Immediate Perimeter: In many missing person cases involving the elderly or those with sudden medical events, the person is found within a very short distance of their "point last seen."
- The "No-Phone" Rule: If a loved one leaves without a phone, that’s an immediate red flag. Establish a "check-in" window of 60 minutes.
- Neighbor Networks: Having a neighborhood WhatsApp or text thread can mobilize a search much faster than waiting for a formal police report to circulate.
Dr. Kraus is a scientist who has dedicated her life to helping us "hear" the world better. It’s only fitting that, in her moment of need, it was the sound of her own name that brought her back to safety.
If you want to support her work or learn more about the biology of sound, the best thing you can do is visit the Brainvolts website and see the actual data they are producing on brain health. It's way more interesting than the tabloid-style rumors that flew around during those 24 hours she was gone.
Stay vigilant and keep your neighbors close. Sometimes the person you're looking for is just a few bushes away.
Next Steps for You
- Review Your Safety Plan: Ensure your family members have a way to be tracked during solo exercise, especially if they prefer not to carry a smartphone.
- Explore Auditory Health: Check out Dr. Kraus’s research at Brainvolts to understand how sound exposure affects your own cognitive longevity.
- Stay Informed: Follow the Evanston Police Department’s social media channels for real-time local safety updates if you live in the North Shore area.