Music & Auditory Cognition Laboratory
Music is present in many aspects of our daily lives. Why do people enjoy listen to certain kinds of melodies? What are the benefits and brain changes associated with music training, e.g., learning to play a musical instrument? How can music be used as an intervention technique for hearing-related cognitive difficulties in aging and certain psychological disorders? The Music and Auditory Cognition Laboratory aims to achieve a better understanding of how human perceive and understand music and the cognitive and underlying neural changes associated with music training. Notably, we also focus on a number of interesting characteristics associated with music experience including absolute pitch and congenital amusia. Our research methods combine psychophysical, cognitive tasks, and functional brain imaging techniques (fMRI) with current research directions including: absolute pitch, melodic contour processing, pitch perception across music and speech, sensory-motor integration, hearing in noise perception, musician training effects and related applications of music intervention.
