LAUREL TRAINOR (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is the director of the Neuroscience of Auditory Interaction Lab (NAIL). Dr. Trainor has well-established leadership qualities as founding director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind. She has done pioneering studies on musical development using behavioural, EEG, and MEG methods. Her work is recognized in academic circles (e.g., publications in Science and Nature; 2 awards for outstanding papers from the Centres of Excellence for Early Childhood Development) and in the popular press (Cormax rating of one of top 30 Canadian researchers in the media 2006).
She works with all the member of NAIL to extend her studies of musical development in individuals to investigations of dynamic interactions between people and how they develop in children in different auditory environments and contexts. She is particularly interested in relations between musicians and between musicians and audience members.
RAMESH BALASUBRAMANIAM (Kinesiology, McMaster) is a new Canada Research Chair and director of the Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab at McMaster. He has won numerous awards including the Ig Nobel Prize, 2004, and he is PI or CO-PI on over $2 million in grant funding. His work routinely receives media coverage. Ramesh collaborates with the NAIL group to expand his studies into realistic multi-sensory environments, using the virtual acoustics, motion capture, visual projection and EEG components.
SUE BECKER (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is an internationally acclaimed researcher in the area of neural network models of auditory and spatial processing. She has developed a novel approach to the signal processing algorithms for hearing aids, the patented Neurocompensator based on Bruce's model (link) of the peripheral auditory system it uses neural network learning to modify the sound input to the ear that will produce neural firing patters in the auditory nerve that most closely match those of an undamaged ear. With CAYCe Medical (link) and researchers in the NAIL Dr. Beckers works on how well the Neurocompensator hearing aid works in realistic noisy environments.
IAN BRUCE (Electrical Engineering, McMaster) has developed one of the most influential models of the non-linear human peripheral auditory system, from sound input to firing patterns in the auditory nerve. This model has been used extensively to understand impaired hearing. Bruce has worked with a number of industrial partners, include Gennum (he held the McMaster Gennum-Barber Chair) and CAYCe Medical. Dr. Bruce is working with members of the NAIL group to extend his work virtual acoustics and video projection, with the objective of making continued improvements to the model and for evaluating hearing aid technologies that develop from this work.
LARRY ROBERTS (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is a senior researcher who has done influential studies of neural plasticity and learning in the auditory system. He is a world leader in the study and treatment of tinnitus. He led a consortium of labs in Canada and abroad through a NET CIHR grant and has funding from the American Tinnitus Foundation. He is also the former Director of Research Development at the Down Syndrome Research Foundation. Dr. Roberts collaborates with researchers in NAIL to extend his work using new methodologies involving EEG and virtual acoustics.
SID SEGALOWITZ (Psychology, Brock) is a senior researcher using EEG to study sensory systems and attentional control and self-regulation in developmental and head injury populations. In addition to an outstanding publication record, he is Editor-in-Chief of Brain and Cognition, the founding director of the Canadian Centre for Lifespan Development at Brock ($6.5M CFI grant), and has published 12 books and collections in neuropsychology. Dr. Segalowitz works closely with members of the NAIL group to study multi-person EEG in the context of the virtual acoustics to study self-regulation in developmental and special populations.
DAVID SHORE (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is a rising star in multi-sensory processing, with influential work on interactions between sensory and motor systems. He has won the British Psychological Association's "Most Infuential Cognitive Paper" in 2001 and a Premier's Research Excellence Award in 2003. He has also organized several conferences (Canadian National Conference on Cognitive Science; International Multisensory Research Forum). Shore works with members of NAIL using motion capture and EEG methodologies to translate his work into realistic acoustic environments.
RANIL SONNADARA (Department of Surgery, U. Toronto; Associate, Kinesiology, McMaster) is a new assistant professor who brings a strong publication record and expertise in acoustics (he has done sound design world-wide), behavioural and EEG measures of auditory and music perception (the subject of his Ph.D. thesis), motor control and sensorimotor interactions (the subject of his post doctoral work; he is also a world-class fencing coach). Dr. Sonnadara works with multiple members of NAIL to take his studies of the development of expertise in musicians and atheletes into realistic, controlled environments.
PETER SZATMARI (Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster) is one of the world's leading experts in autism and Director of the Offord Centre for Child Studies. He wrote the literature reviews on autism for the DSM-IV, the clinic standard for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. He has been the editor for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, co-editor of the Journal for Evidence Based Hental Health, and is a former director of the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network. Dr. Szatmari collaborates with members of NAIL to study communication and sensorimotor interactions in realistic environments in children with autism.
PETER PFORDRESHER (Psychology, Buffalo). Dr. Pfordresher's primary training has been in experimental psychology. His many years as a practicing musician provided the basis for his research interest in the cognitive bases of musical communication as it occurs during performance. He arrived at UB after five years as a faculty member at the University of Texas (San Antonio). The main question motivating his research concerns the way in which people retrieve complex event sequences in real time, whether in the course of perceiving or producing these sequences. Of particular concern is the way in which people use (or do not use) the perceived consequences of their actions in order to maintain fluency in communication.
His research is currently funded by the National Science Foundation and has appeared in flagship journals in the domains of cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and music cognition. Dr. Pfordresher currently serves as a consulting editor for Perception and Psychophysics, Music Perception, and the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. Dr. Pfordresher collaborates with members of NAIL on the use of motion-capture and neuroimaging projects that involve skilled performance in musicians.
LAUREL TRAINOR (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is the director of the Neuroscience of Auditory Interaction Lab (NAIL). Dr. Trainor has well-established leadership qualities as founding director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind. She has done pioneering studies on musical development using behavioural, EEG, and MEG methods. Her work is recognized in academic circles (e.g., publications in Science and Nature; 2 awards for outstanding papers from the Centres of Excellence for Early Childhood Development) and in the popular press (Cormax rating of one of top 30 Canadian researchers in the media 2006).
RAMESH BALASUBRAMANIAM (Kinesiology, McMaster) is a new Canada Research Chair and director of the Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab at McMaster. He has won numerous awards including the Ig Nobel Prize, 2004, and he is PI or CO-PI on over $2 million in grant funding. His work routinely receives media coverage. Ramesh collaborates with the NAIL group to expand his studies into realistic multi-sensory environments, using the virtual acoustics, motion capture, visual projection and EEG components.
SUE BECKER (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is an internationally acclaimed researcher in the area of neural network models of auditory and spatial processing. She has developed a novel approach to the signal processing algorithms for hearing aids, the patented Neurocompensator based on Bruce's model (link) of the peripheral auditory system it uses neural network learning to modify the sound input to the ear that will produce neural firing patters in the auditory nerve that most closely match those of an undamaged ear. With CAYCe Medical (link) and researchers in the NAIL Dr. Beckers works on how well the Neurocompensator hearing aid works in realistic noisy environments.
IAN BRUCE (Electrical Engineering, McMaster) has developed one of the most influential models of the non-linear human peripheral auditory system, from sound input to firing patterns in the auditory nerve. This model has been used extensively to understand impaired hearing. Bruce has worked with a number of industrial partners, include Gennum (he held the McMaster Gennum-Barber Chair) and CAYCe Medical. Dr. Bruce is working with members of the NAIL group to extend his work virtual acoustics and video projection, with the objective of making continued improvements to the model and for evaluating hearing aid technologies that develop from this work.
LARRY ROBERTS (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is a senior researcher who has done influential studies of neural plasticity and learning in the auditory system. He is a world leader in the study and treatment of tinnitus. He led a consortium of labs in Canada and abroad through a NET CIHR grant and has funding from the American Tinnitus Foundation. He is also the former Director of Research Development at the Down Syndrome Research Foundation. Dr. Roberts collaborates with researchers in NAIL to extend his work using new methodologies involving EEG and virtual acoustics.
SID SEGALOWITZ (Psychology, Brock) is a senior researcher using EEG to study sensory systems and attentional control and self-regulation in developmental and head injury populations. In addition to an outstanding publication record, he is Editor-in-Chief of Brain and Cognition, the founding director of the Canadian Centre for Lifespan Development at Brock ($6.5M CFI grant), and has published 12 books and collections in neuropsychology. Dr. Segalowitz works closely with members of the NAIL group to study multi-person EEG in the context of the virtual acoustics to study self-regulation in developmental and special populations.
DAVID SHORE (Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster) is a rising star in multi-sensory processing, with influential work on interactions between sensory and motor systems. He has won the British Psychological Association's "Most Infuential Cognitive Paper" in 2001 and a Premier's Research Excellence Award in 2003. He has also organized several conferences (Canadian National Conference on Cognitive Science; International Multisensory Research Forum). Shore works with members of NAIL using motion capture and EEG methodologies to translate his work into realistic acoustic environments.
RANIL SONNADARA (Department of Surgery, U. Toronto; Associate, Kinesiology, McMaster) is a new assistant professor who brings a strong publication record and expertise in acoustics (he has done sound design world-wide), behavioural and EEG measures of auditory and music perception (the subject of his Ph.D. thesis), motor control and sensorimotor interactions (the subject of his post doctoral work; he is also a world-class fencing coach). Dr. Sonnadara works with multiple members of NAIL to take his studies of the development of expertise in musicians and atheletes into realistic, controlled environments.
PETER SZATMARI (Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster) is one of the world's leading experts in autism and Director of the Offord Centre for Child Studies. He wrote the literature reviews on autism for the DSM-IV, the clinic standard for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. He has been the editor for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, co-editor of the Journal for Evidence Based Hental Health, and is a former director of the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network. Dr. Szatmari collaborates with members of NAIL to study communication and sensorimotor interactions in realistic environments in children with autism.
PETER PFORDRESHER (Psychology, Buffalo). Dr. Pfordresher's primary training has been in experimental psychology. His many years as a practicing musician provided the basis for his research interest in the cognitive bases of musical communication as it occurs during performance. He arrived at UB after five years as a faculty member at the University of Texas (San Antonio). The main question motivating his research concerns the way in which people retrieve complex event sequences in real time, whether in the course of perceiving or producing these sequences. Of particular concern is the way in which people use (or do not use) the perceived consequences of their actions in order to maintain fluency in communication.
