Pablo Ripollés

Pablo Ripollés is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Music and Audio Research Laboratory (MARL) at New York University. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology and MARL, focusing on the intersection of music, reward, memory, and language learning. His research explores how intrinsic reward mechanisms influence cognitive processes like word learning and how music interacts with brain plasticity and reward systems.

Education: B.Sc. in Computer Engineering and Telecommunications (University of València, 2009), M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering (University of Navarra, 2010), Ph.D. in Biomedicine with a focus on Neuroscience (University of Barcelona, 2016). He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in David Poeppel's Lab at NYU (2017–2020).

Research Interests: Neuroscientific basis of music perception, reward-driven learning, auditory-motor synchronization, and applications of music in neurorehabilitation. His work combines neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) with behavioral studies to understand how dopamine signaling and memory systems shape cognitive functions.

Key Contributions: Demonstrated the role of subcortical reward regions in word learning (Current Biology, 2014); pioneered music-based therapies for stroke recovery (Brain Imaging Behavior, 2016); investigated dopamine's role in musical reward (PNAS, 2019); and explored intrinsic reward's impact on adolescent language acquisition (Developmental Science, 2024).

Awards: Formación Profesorado Universitario (FPU) fellowship, La Caixa Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship.

Labs: Leads the Ripolles Lab within the Center for Language Music and Emotion, collaborating with NYU's MARL and Poeppel Lab. Active in developing tools like CHILLER for real-time emotional response tracking.