Josh McDermott

Josh McDermott is a Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also serves as Associate Department Head and previously as Interim Department Head. He leads the Laboratory for Computational Audition and conducts groundbreaking research at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and engineering, with a primary focus on understanding human auditory perception and its computational underpinnings.

Dr. McDermott's educational background includes:

• PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT (2001-2006), advised by Edward Adelson
• MPhil in Computational Neuroscience from University College London (1998-2000), advised by Geoff Hinton
• B.A. in Brain and Cognitive Science, summa cum laude, from Harvard University (1994-1998), advised by Nancy Kanwisher

McDermott's research program centers on understanding how humans derive information from sound in complex environments. His lab investigates why biological auditory systems outperform even the most sophisticated machine hearing systems in everyday situations like noisy city streets. He explores computational audition, natural sound statistics, music perception, and the relationship between sensory modalities, with long-term goals to improve treatments for hearing impairment and enable the design of machine systems that mirror human auditory abilities. His work bridges fundamental neuroscience with practical applications for hearing technologies.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating deep learning and neural network models with auditory neuroscience. His lab has been exploring how generative models, metamers, and task-optimized networks can illuminate human auditory processing. There's a clear progression from basic auditory phenomena to more complex computational models that bridge neuroscience and artificial intelligence, particularly in areas like sound segregation, music perception, and cross-modal integration. His work consistently demonstrates how computational approaches can reveal fundamental principles of auditory perception.

Dr. McDermott has received numerous prestigious awards, including:

• Troland Research Award (2018)
• NSF CAREER Award (2015)
• APAN Young Investigator Award (2017)
• BCS Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising (2014, 2018)
• BCS Award For Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (2023)

As an advisor, McDermott has mentored numerous PhD students who have gone on to make significant contributions in auditory neuroscience and computational modeling. His Laboratory for Computational Audition serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research that bridges psychology, neuroscience, and engineering approaches to understanding hearing. The lab has developed innovative methodologies for studying auditory perception, including sound synthesis techniques, computational models, and cross-cultural approaches to music cognition. McDermott's work continues to push the boundaries of our understanding of auditory perception and its computational underpinnings.