Pascal Gaillard

Pascal Gaillard is an Associate Professor at the University of Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, where he conducts research at the CLLE Lab (Cognition, Languages, Language, Ergonomics, UMR5263) in the "Language and Cognitive Processes" Team, while teaching in the Music Department at the National Higher Institute for Teaching and Education in Toulouse - Midi-Pyrénées (INSPE). His academic career spans over two decades, beginning as an Assistant Professor in Musicology at Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail from 1998 to 2000, before becoming an Associate Professor at the University of Toulouse since 2002.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Musicology and Auditory Perception (1996-2000) from Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail / Université de Paris - Jussieu
• Master (DEA) in Musicology - Ethnomusicology (1993-1994) from Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail
• Maîtrise in Musicology - Ethnomusicology (1989-1990) from Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail
• Licence in Musicology (1985-1989) from Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail

Dr. Gaillard's research focuses on auditory perception and cognitive processes, particularly the categorization of sounds. His work spans multiple domains including musical timbre perception, speech perception in individuals with age-related hearing loss, environmental sound recognition, and auditory processing in deaf individuals with cochlear implants. He has pioneered studies on how humans organize their sound world through categorization, drawing on prototypical categorization theory developed by Rosch (1976). A key insight from his research is that auditory categorization is dynamic rather than fixed, varying according to listener needs, tasks, and action goals.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong interdisciplinary approach, bridging music cognition, clinical audiology, and cognitive neuroscience. There's a clear trend toward applied research with clinical implications, particularly for deaf children with cochlear implants, as evidenced by multiple studies on humanoid robots for speech-language training. His work also shows increasing integration of computational approaches, including transfer learning for music preference prediction and ontology-based data management.

Dr. Gaillard has secured numerous research grants from prestigious funding bodies including the French National Research Agency (ANR), Occitanie Regional Council, and ANSES. Current projects include "The hospital and its 'Beeps': evaluation of the hearing health of caregivers" (2025-2028), "SILENCE - Comparative acoustics: earth, planets and extreme environments" (2024-2026), and "Rehabilitation of age-related hearing loss: evolution of cognitive load in a 3D virtual environment - AgeHear" (2020-2024).

He directs the "Cognition, Behavior and Use" facilities (CCU) which include specialized auditory booths for research. Since 2003, he has developed TCL-LabX, experimental software for conducting categorization studies. His research collaborations span international boundaries, working with labs in France, Canada, and the Netherlands, as well as industry partners in aeronautics and healthcare sectors.