Fleur Bouwer

Dr. Fleur Bouwer is an Assistant Professor at the Cognitive Psychology Unit of Leiden University, affiliated with the Music Cognition Group and Amsterdam Music Lab. Her research focuses on rhythm perception and its neural mechanisms, combining cognitive neuroscience approaches with behavioral studies. She holds an NWO Veni Grant for investigating temporal expectations in rhythm and has received awards such as the Distinguished Women Scientists Fund and ABC Talent Grant for postdoctoral work. Her work spans cross-species comparisons (e.g., rhesus monkeys) and developmental studies (e.g., newborns). She collaborates widely, including with Prof. Henkjan Honing and Dr. Heleen Slagter, and actively engages in public science communication through lectures and media appearances.

• Key Roles: Assistant Professor (Leiden University), Postdoctoral Researcher (University of Amsterdam), Affiliate Researcher (Music Cognition Group)
• Education: PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience (likely from University of Amsterdam, based on collaborations)
• Grants: NWO Veni (2020), Distinguished Women Scientists Fund (2017), ABC Talent Grant (2016)
• Public Engagement: NEMO lectures, Atlas TV features, Volkskrant articles, and science communication projects like Toontjehoger

Her research explores beat perception, rhythmic entrainment, and the interplay between attention and memory-based expectations. She uses EEG, ERP, and behavioral paradigms to study how rhythmic patterns are processed in the brain, with implications for music therapy and clinical applications (e.g., Parkinson’s disease).

Her publications emphasize methodological rigor in cross-species research and highlight differences between beat-based and pattern-based temporal expectations. Recent work includes updated reviews on ERP methods for studying rhythm perception across species and collaborations on rhythmic complexity influenced by musical training.

• Awards: NWO Veni Grant, Distinguished Women Scientists Fund, ABC Talent Grant
• Labs/Teams: Cognitive Psychology Unit (Leiden), Cognition & Plasticity Lab (UvA), Music Cognition Group