Scott Bannister

Dr. Scott Bannister is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, affiliated with the School of Music under the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. He joined in 2021 as a Teaching Fellow in Music Psychology and transitioned to his current role on the Cadenza project in 2022 under Professor Alinka Greasley.

His research focuses on:

• Mechanisms behind musical chills (goosebumps/shivers) as indicators of strong emotional responses
• Music as a social other – investigating how music can replace real social contact through empathy and social bonding
• Neuroaesthetic processes linking music to pleasure, anticipation, and brain activity
• Evolutionary and cognitive underpinnings of emotional experiences with music

He previously worked in research governance at the University of Manchester after completing his PhD at Durham University (2020) on musical chills categorization. Current work explores societal implications of music-induced social connection.