Yune Lee

Dr. Yune Lee is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Their research focuses on the neural and behavioral connections between speech, language, and music (SLAM), particularly exploring how music-based interventions enhance cognitive and sensory functions in aging and clinical populations. They lead the SLAM Lab, which investigates neural plasticity and the impact of lifelong music training on cognitive resilience.

Dr. Lee holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Dartmouth College (2010) and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to UTD, they served as an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. Their work integrates neuroimaging (e.g., EEG, fMRI) with behavioral experiments to uncover mechanisms underlying auditory processing, rhythm perception, and language comprehension.

Key research themes include:

• Music therapy for speech disorders and cognitive rehabilitation
• Neural plasticity from rhythmic interventions
• Rhythm’s role in language development and aging
• Interactions between sensorimotor systems and working memory

Recent studies have explored binaural beats’ effects on sentence comprehension, the role of rhythm in grammar processing, and environmental/cognitive biomarkers in child development. Their lab collaborates across disciplines to bridge clinical and basic research in neuroscience.