Prof. Helen Blank is a Professor leading the Multisensory Perception Group and the Prediction in Communication Lab at the Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Her work focuses on understanding how sensory information is integrated and predicted in contexts like speech perception and face recognition. She holds a Marie Curie Fellowship for her research on prior information's role in human communication. Fluent in German, English, and French, she contributes to experimental medicine and systems neuroscience. Her research spans predictive coding, neuroimaging, and clinical applications in Parkinson’s and developmental disorders. Education: Not explicitly stated in text, inferred as advanced degrees in neuroscience or related fields. Her research interests emphasize multisensory integration, predictive processing in speech and vision, and the neural bases of perception. Recent articles explore topics such as pupil responses to auditory surprise, face expectation hierarchies, and audio-visual speech processing. Awards include the Marie Curie Fellowship supporting her predictive communication work. She leads interdisciplinary teams within the Center for Experimental Medicine, advancing knowledge on perceptual mechanisms and their clinical implications.
Frank Russo is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he holds the NSERC-Sonova Senior Research Chair in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience. He leads the Science of Music Auditory Research and Technology (SMART) Lab and holds affiliate and adjunct positions at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto, respectively. Research Interests: Dr. Russo's work lies at the intersection of auditory cognitive neuroscience, music psychology, and rehabilitation. His research explores how humans perceive music and speech, particularly under challenging conditions such as hearing loss or non-native accents. He investigates the cognitive and neural mechanisms of listening effort, emotional speech processing, and the social and therapeutic benefits of music, especially through community choirs and digital interventions. Publication Trends: His recent publications emphasize objective measurement of listening effort using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), music-based interventions for Parkinson’s disease and dementia, vocal and emotional responses to singing, and multisensory integration in beat perception. The work is highly translational, bridging basic cognitive neuroscience with clinical and community applications. Scientific Awards and Honors: NSERC-Sonova Senior Research Chair in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association Fellow of Massey College Fellow of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Science Past President of the Canadian Acoustical Association Advising and Grants: Dr. Russo actively mentors students and researchers, as evidenced by his co-authorship with numerous junior colleagues. He has secured major funding through NSERC and industry partnerships, enabling the development of impactful technologies such as hearing aid algorithms, sensory substitution systems, and digital therapeutics. His SingWell project fosters collaboration across academic, clinical, and community sectors. Labs and Teams: He directs the SMART Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, a hub for interdisciplinary research on music, hearing, and cognition. The lab collaborates extensively with KITE Research Institute, Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Toronto, and various community organizations focused on aging, hearing loss, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Inna Fishman, Ph.D., is a Research Associate Professor at San Diego State University's Department of Psychology within the College of Sciences. Her research investigates brain network organization in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using multimodal MRI techniques, focusing on developmental trajectories from toddlerhood to adulthood. She directs studies on sensory processing, socioeconomic influences, and neural connectivity patterns in ASD. Research Focus: Dr. Fishman's work bridges social neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology, examining: Early biomarkers of ASD via functional/diffusion MRI Impact of bilingualism and socioeconomic factors on neurodevelopment Sleep disorders and sensory sensitivities in autistic children Aging-related neural changes in adults with ASD Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2021-2025) emphasize: 1) Advanced neuroimaging of ASD across lifespan stages, 2) Machine learning applications for diagnostics, 3) Socioeconomic and environmental modulators of brain development, and 4) Sleep/auditory processing comorbidities. Student Advising & Grants: She mentors doctoral candidates (Lindsay Olson, Jiwandeep Kohli, Bosi Chen) and leads NIH-funded projects including a clinical psychology fellowship for autism evaluation across ages. Laboratory Affiliation: Dr. Fishman co-directs the Brain Development Imaging Laboratories (BDIL), which investigates ASD manifestations through behavioral and neuroimaging approaches.
Dr Valdas Noreika is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London. He serves as Head of The Centre for Brain and Behaviour and leads the Sleep and Cognition Lab. His work bridges cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and clinical applications, with a focus on understanding consciousness and its disorders. Dr Noreika's educational background includes: BA in Philosophy from Vilnius University, Lithuania MSc in Neurobiology from Vilnius University, Lithuania PhD in Psychology from the University of Turku, Finland, focusing on altered states of consciousness and temporal distortions Dr Noreika's research explores the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying sleep, dreaming, and consciousness. Using techniques including electroencephalography (EEG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and psychophysics, his work investigates both basic mechanisms of consciousness and their applications to neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. His research spans multiple domains including time processing, inter-brain synchronization across species, and environmental decision-making. A key aspect of his work involves translational research focusing on sleep, subjective experiences, and well-being in conditions such as learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and depression. Analysis of Dr Noreika's recent publications reveals a strong focus on consciousness studies, neural mechanisms of sleep and dreaming, and applications to neurodevelopmental conditions. His work frequently employs EEG and other neuroimaging techniques to study brain activity during various states of consciousness. Recent trends show increasing emphasis on inter-brain synchronization, particularly in infant-parent interactions and cross-species communication, as well as growing interest in environmental psychology and climate change-related decision making. Dr Noreika has secured significant research funding including: The neural basis of inter-species communication - £155,098 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (2024-2026) Sleep and circadian interactions with sensory sensitivity in adults with intellectual disabilities - £103,229 from the Baily Thomas Charitable Fund (2023-2025) As a supervisor, Dr Noreika advises multiple PhD students working on diverse topics including Alzheimer's disease diagnosis using information theory, emotion recognition, thermal sensation in Parkinson's disease, cultural differences in cognitive processes, and time processing. His Sleep and Cognition Lab serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research bridging neuroscience, psychology, and clinical applications. Dr Noreika leads the Sleep and Cognition Lab at Queen Mary University of London, which focuses on investigating the neural mechanisms of sleep, dreaming, and consciousness. The lab brings together researchers from diverse backgrounds to study both fundamental aspects of consciousness and their applications to clinical populations. Current projects include investigations of sleep and sensory sensitivity in adults with learning disabilities and human-dog interaction studies.
Eduardo Mercado III is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University at Buffalo, College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on bioacoustics, cognitive psychology, and marine ecology, particularly the vocal behavior of humpback whales and its implications for understanding human impact on marine ecosystems. He is also known for his work in perceptual learning, autism spectrum disorder, and comparative cognition. Scientific Awards Guggenheim Fellowship Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Research Trends His recent publications emphasize bioacoustic analysis of humpback whale songs, including their spectral entropy, cyclical variations, and adaptive adjustments to anthropogenic noise. Additional work explores perceptual learning mechanisms in autism, neural network modeling for acoustic classification, and cognitive processes in canines and rodents. Projects Mercado’s “Singers as Sentinels” project combines acoustic analysis of humpback whale songs with public awareness initiatives about ocean noise pollution. The project will produce a book, Why Whales Sing and Dolphins Don’t , and a web-based interface for public engagement.
Jonathan Cannon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University's Faculty of Science. His research focuses on timing and rhythm in perception and action, with particular interest in timing-related neural dynamics in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and supplementary motor area. His work combines mathematical modeling with experimental approaches to understand the neural basis of rhythm perception and production. Dr. Cannon's research interests span timing and rhythm perception , neural dynamics , dynamical systems theory , Bayesian cognition , neural oscillations , and autism research . His approach centers on formulating and simulating neurophysiological and cognitive models, drawing on dynamical systems theory and Bayesian cognitive frameworks. His work incorporates psychophysics, EEG experiments, and collaborations with experimentalists to investigate how the brain processes rhythmic information. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on the intersection of rhythm perception, motor control, and autism spectrum disorder. His work demonstrates how beat perception co-opts motor neurophysiology, with particular attention to predictive processes in rhythmic cognition. His research shows reduced precision of motor and perceptual rhythmic timing in autistic adults, while also finding intact sequence learning abilities in certain contexts. Dr. Cannon teaches advanced courses including Machine Learning Methods for Brain Modelling and Neural Data Analysis (PSYCH 734), Computational Models in Neuroscience (NEUROSCI 3MN3), and Neuroscience Seminars. His teaching reflects his interdisciplinary approach that bridges mathematics, neuroscience, and cognitive science. Beyond his academic work, Dr. Cannon is an active musician who performs on violin and guitar, particularly in klezmer and folk music contexts. He has also demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit through founding Flying Leap Games and developing the storytelling game 'Wing It,' which successfully crowdfunded and reached numerous retailers.
Emily Cooper is an Associate Professor of Optometry & Vision Science at the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley. She serves as the Chair of the Vision Science PhD Program and is a co-Director of the Center for Innovation in Vision & Optics. Additionally, she is a member of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and a Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google. Dr. Cooper's research focuses on 3D vision, perceptual graphics, AR/VR, computational neuroscience, visual encoding, and display system design. Her work investigates how the visual system processes information to create our perception of the 3D world, with applications in computer graphics, virtual reality, and assistive technologies for people with low vision. Analysis of Dr. Cooper's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on the intersection of vision science and emerging technologies, particularly in augmented reality and assistive vision systems. Her work spans fundamental research on visual perception mechanisms to applied research developing practical technologies for low vision rehabilitation. A significant portion of her recent work addresses visual discomfort in XR displays, perceptual guidelines for AR/VR systems, and innovative approaches to assistive vision technologies that enhance mobility and independence for visually impaired individuals. Dr. Cooper leads an active research laboratory at UC Berkeley's 391 Minor Hall, where she mentors students and collaborators in vision science research. Her lab investigates both basic questions about how vision works and translational questions about improving visual technologies. She has developed perceptual guidelines for optimizing field of view in stereoscopic augmented reality displays and created assistive technologies such as an augmented reality sign-reading assistant for users with reduced vision. Dr. Cooper is also involved in professional activities including co-organizing the Computational Neuroscience: Vision summer course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and working with Community Resources For Science to promote science education.
Dr. Conny Kopp-Scheinpflug is an Associate Professor (PD) at the Faculty of Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where she leads a research group focused on auditory neuroscience. Her laboratory investigates the function and mechanisms of activity-dependent neuromodulation in the mammalian auditory system, with particular interest in how ambient sensory stimulation activates neuromodulators and how these influence neural processing of relevant information. Dr. Kopp-Scheinpflug's research spans auditory neuroscience, neuromodulation, neuronal excitability, and synaptic transmission. She employs electrophysiological (single cell in vivo and patch clamp in brain slices), anatomical, and optogenetic techniques to study how hyper- or hypo stimulation lead to acquisition or loss of function in the auditory system. Her work has significant implications for understanding and potentially treating functional disorders of neuronal excitability. Current research examines potassium channels, nitric oxide signaling, and neuromodulators like urocortin 3 in auditory processing. Analysis of Dr. Kopp-Scheinpflug's recent publications (2016-2022) reveals consistent focus on auditory processing mechanisms, particularly potassium channels (Kv3.1, Kv3.3, Kv1.1), nitric oxide signaling, and activity-dependent changes in myelination. Her research spans molecular mechanisms to systems-level auditory processing, with emphasis on sound localization, temporal processing, and recovery from hearing impairment. Key findings include how sound-evoked activity influences myelination, how nitric oxide regulates postsynaptic excitability, and how urocortin 3 aids hearing recovery. Dr. Kopp-Scheinpflug has secured funding from multiple research agencies. She maintains active collaborations with researchers at Lehigh University (Michael Burger Lab), University of Edinburgh (Matthias Hennig Lab), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Michal Hershfinkel Lab), and UCL (Dr. Jennifer Linden). Her laboratory currently includes Ezhilarasan Rajaram, Dr. Mihai Stancu, Oskar Kalle Juhani Markkula, Sara Pagella, and Katharine Krueger. Past lab members who have completed their training include Dr. James Sinclair, Dr. Matthew Fischl, Max Bayer, Alkmini Damkou, Alyahyay Mansour, Leander Mrowka, Joseph Kroeger, and Myriam Schmidt-Pauly.
Susannah V Levi serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She holds multiple leadership roles including Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Director of the Acoustic Phonetics and Perception Lab (APPL). She also serves as Affiliate Faculty in both Linguistics and Psychology departments. Dr. Levi received her educational training through: BA in Mathematics and French from Washington University in St. Louis MA in Linguistics from the University of Washington, Seattle PhD in Linguistics from the University of Washington, Seattle Post-doctoral research in Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University Her research program focuses on spoken language processing, examining how listener characteristics (languages spoken, reading ability, language ability) interact with spoken utterance properties (native versus nonnative speech, talker familiarity, semantic predictability) during processing. Her work spans fundamental speech perception mechanisms to clinical applications for individuals with language and reading disorders. Recent research has increasingly focused on gender expression in speech, expanding traditional binary gender frameworks to include transgender and gender nonconforming speakers. She has made significant contributions to understanding how talker familiarity benefits speech processing in children and adults, with implications for clinical interventions. Analysis of Dr. Levi's recent publications reveals several key research trends: an expansion from basic speech perception mechanisms to clinical applications; growing emphasis on gender diversity in speech science; increasing integration of sociolinguistic factors with cognitive processing; and methodological innovations in measuring speech perception. Her work demonstrates a clear trajectory from foundational research on talker processing to applied work addressing real-world communication challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations including children with language disorders and gender diverse individuals. Dr. Levi actively mentors students, as evidenced by the numerous publications where student co-authors are marked with asterisks. Her research program is currently funded by the National Science Foundation, supporting work in the Acoustic Phonetics and Perception Lab. Her laboratory work focuses on speech perception mechanisms, with particular attention to how listeners process speech from familiar versus unfamiliar talkers, how this develops in children, and how it applies to clinical populations. The lab has increasingly incorporated gender-expansive perspectives into speech science research, examining acoustic properties of speech across gender identities.
Dr. Anne-Kathrin Fett is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology within the School of Health and Psychological Sciences at City St George's, University of London. She is Co-director of the Research Centre for Clinical, Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN) and holds a secondary affiliation with King’s College London. Her research integrates clinical, biological, and cognitive neuroscience approaches to understand social functioning in psychosis and mental health. Research Interests: Her research focuses on the psychological, epidemiological, and neuroscientific mechanisms underlying social functioning, loneliness, and social isolation in both the general population and individuals with psychotic disorders. Key areas include student mental health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the neurocognitive basis of social cognition in psychosis. Recent Research Trends: Her recent publications highlight a consistent focus on social cognition, particularly in schizophrenia and early psychosis. Themes include emotion recognition, theory of mind, metacognition, and the impact of environmental and biological factors. There is a growing emphasis on longitudinal and population-based studies, including the mental health effects of global crises such as the pandemic. Scientific Awards and Honors: Dutch Research Council Veni Fellow Brain and Behaviour Foundation (NARSAD) Young Investigator Grant Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Teaching and Supervision: Dr. Fett leads and teaches on core psychology modules including Biological Approaches to Mind and Behaviour (PS1005) and Introduction to Clinical Psychology (PS2008), as well as the CSCN MSc program. She supervises BSc, MSc, PhD, and DPsych (counselling) dissertation projects and welcomes inquiries for PhD and internship positions. Research Leadership: She is Co-director of the Research Centre for Clinical, Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, fostering interdisciplinary research in clinical and cognitive neuroscience. She is also an editorial board member of Schizophrenia Research: Cognition and actively contributes to the Schizophrenia International Research Society, the International Early Psychosis Association, and UKRI networks on loneliness and student mental health.
Marlene Behrmann is the Thomas S. Baker University Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), affiliated with the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She leads the Behrmann Lab, which moved to the University of Pittsburgh in 2023. Her research focuses on visual cognition, object recognition, and neural mechanisms of perception, with a particular emphasis on face and word recognition. Behrmann holds a B.A. and M.A. in Speech and Hearing Therapy and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Toronto. She is a leader in her field, recognized by her induction into the National Academy of Sciences (2015) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2019). Her work combines neuropsychological studies of patients with brain damage, neuroimaging, and computational modeling to explore visual processing. Recent research highlights include studies on dorsal-ventral pathway interactions, functional reorganization post-hemispherectomy, and autism-related sensory processing differences. Behrmann has advised numerous graduate students and postdocs, contributing to their academic and professional development. Key awards include her National Academy of Sciences membership and American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellowship. Her lab collaborates widely, publishing in top journals like Cerebral Cortex , PNAS , and Trends in Cognitive Sciences . She also engages in translational research to improve interventions for perceptual and cognitive disorders.
Margaret Greenwald serves as Associate Professor and Ph.D. Coordinator in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) within Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Previously department chair (2014-2020), she is a Licensed and Certified Speech-Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP) recognized in 2022 as Wayne State's Outstanding Graduate Mentor in the health sciences. Her academic credentials include: M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology (University of Florida) Ph.D. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders (University of Florida) Post Doctoral Research Training in Cognitive Neuropsychology (University of Maryland, Department of Neurology) Dr. Greenwald's research centers on adult neurogenic communication disorders , specializing in aphasia, traumatic brain injury, and stroke rehabilitation through cognitive neuropsychology. Her work employs Magnetoencephalography (MEG) to map brain-behavior relationships during language and musical processing tasks, revealing critical insights for rehabilitation. She actively bridges clinical practice with neuroscience to develop evidence-based interventions. Analysis of her recent publications shows consistent focus on neuroimaging applications for understanding language disorders, with growing emphasis on telepractice implementation and the cognitive effects of musical training. Her work demonstrates strong translational value, connecting basic neuroscience to clinical rehabilitation protocols while maintaining rigorous methodological standards. Her scientific recognition includes: Outstanding Graduate Mentor in the Health Sciences, Wayne State University (2022) As an educator, Dr. Greenwald teaches graduate courses in aphasia, neuromuscular speech disorders, research methods, and doctoral seminars, plus undergraduate speech-language pathology instruction. She supervises doctoral research as Ph.D. coordinator and mentors students through clinical research projects. Her teaching integrates current neuroscience findings with clinical practice standards. She maintains active professional engagement through memberships in the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), Academy of Aphasia, and International Neuropsychological Society, contributing to both clinical guidelines development and research community advancement.
Scott Barnes is Head of the Department of Linguistics and Course Director of the Master of Speech and Language Pathology at Macquarie University. He leads the Macquarie Linguistics Conversation Analysis Lab with Joe Blythe, supervising research on communication disabilities, speech pathology assessment, and cross-linguistic interaction analysis. His teaching focuses on acquired communication disorders, language analysis, and speech pathology foundations. Barnes researches acquired communication disabilities (aphasia, TBI) using conversation analysis and interactional linguistics. Key interests include: Everyday communication practices in clinical populations Turn-taking and repair organization across languages Multimodal interaction analysis Speech pathology assessment frameworks Cross-cultural communication disorders His publications demonstrate consistent focus on clinical conversation analysis, with recent work examining: Therapeutic interactions in mental health settings Multimodal communication in Mandarin and Indonesian contexts Auditory processing in post-stroke communication Repair strategies in dysarthria and aphasia As external accreditor for Speech Pathology Australia (2021-2026), he shapes professional education standards. He directs multiple active grants including projects on bilingual education, communication breakdowns in noise, and voice visualization technology.
Steven Livingstone is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Ontario Tech University, Faculty of Science. His research focuses on affective data science, applying machine learning and statistical modeling to understand emotion and its disorders. He leads the Affective Data Science Lab (ADSL), specializing in emotion recognition technologies using physiological data like EEG and motion capture. Livingstone holds a PhD from The University of Queensland (2008) and has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, with over 2,400 citations. His RAVDESS dataset is widely used in speech emotion recognition research. His research interests span data science, affective computing, and music's role in emotion. Recent work emphasizes data provisioning for deep learning applications. Livingstone teaches courses including Scientific Data Analysis and Information Visualization. He actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students in his lab, focusing on research assistantships in emotion technology development. Key contributions include studies on musical tempo’s physiological effects, Parkinson’s disease facial mimicry deficits, and ensemble performance dynamics. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, NBC Today, and on the cover of Informatik Spektrum. The ADSL lab collaborates on projects combining data analytics with human-computer interaction to advance emotion-aware systems.
Fatemeh Mollaei is a Lecturer in Clinical Language Sciences at the University of Reading, affiliated with the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences. She is a core member of the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN), focusing on neurophysiological mechanisms of speech disorders. Her work integrates behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging techniques to study Parkinson’s disease (PD) and develops neuro-rehabilitation methods using non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., TMS, tDCS). Her research explores how sensory and motor systems interact during speech production in PD, employing tools like EEG, fMRI, and MEG. She investigates microstructural white matter changes and auditory processing deficits linked to speech impairments, aiming to translate findings into clinical interventions. Her studies also address broader topics like sensorimotor adaptation and stuttering, emphasizing translational neuroscience. Publications highlight trends in neuroimaging of speech disorders, auditory feedback mechanisms, and neuroplasticity in PD. While no formal awards are listed, her contributions to understanding speech motor control and rehabilitation practices are significant. Advising and grant details are not explicitly provided, but her involvement in interdisciplinary CINN projects suggests active collaborative research. Labs/Teams: Active contributor to the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN) at the University of Reading, collaborating on translational neuroscience projects.
