Sarah H
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of Southern California (USC)
Expertise
music and memory, psychology, cognitive science, science and arts, neuroscience of music, music psychology, nostalgia, music-evoked emotions, emotion, projects related to human aging
Bio
Hi! My name is Sarah. I hold a PhD from the University of Southern California, in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. At USC, I studied the intersection of music and science. Specifically, I examined how our brains process and respond to music that evokes memories, particularly in people with age-related diseases like Alzheimer's Disease. In general, I love learning about how the brain works to understand the world around us, and scientifically investigating how humans interact with our surroundings and other people. Now, I work as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Arizona, studying memory and Alzheimer's Disease. Outside of my work as a scientist, I am a musician and novice seamstress. I grew up playing violin and singing, and have incorporated these passions into my scientific interests, while still getting to play music for fun. I have been teaching myself how to sew and crochet and have loved the challenge of a new creative skill!Project ideas
Review of Music Training and Child Development
Learn about how music training impacts human development! You'll explore how, as we learn new skills in child development, our brains grow tremendously. In this project, you'll write a review paper that examines what evidence exists for the benefits of learning a musical instrument on child development, in terms of social, cognitive, emotional, or neural processes. You'll get hands-on experience conducting a formal literature review, learning how to read real research papers from professional neuroscientists and psychologists.
An interactive brain demonstrating our neural responses to music
Have you ever wondered what is happening in your brain when you listen to your favorite playlists? In this project, you'll delve into the neural processes that underly a pleasant music listening experience. Create a 3-dimensional brain model to show the regions of our brain that are active when listening to a favorite, or memory-evoking, piece of music. Learn about the different areas of the brain and visually demonstrate which areas are active when you're listening to your favorite artists, whether that is Bach or Cardi B!