Our lab’s work currently has several interrelated themes, all connected to human perception, performance, and neuroplasticity. For example, we study how the auditory system encodes sound, how the fidelity with which sound is encoded leads to performance on complex tasks, and how experience such as multilingualism and musicianship can in turn affect sound encoding. We also study sleep roles in memory and learning, how the auditory system’s function changes in sleep, and how precisely-timed auditory stimuli can enhance learning and memory. And, we study how learning and memory is affected by sleep quality and exposure to noise and disruptive stimuli, in healthy young adults, older adults, and in special populations such as people with misophonia (a specific sensory sensitivity).

The majority of our work is conducted using combinations of cutting-edge neuroimaging tools (i.e. MEG, EEG, fMRI, DWI, VBM). As a complement to fine-grained laboratory investigations, we also conduct studies on learning, memory, perception and sleep in ‘real world’ and extreme environments, using portable and online tools.

Ultimately, our goals are to understand basic mechanisms of audition, sleep, and learning, towards optimizing function and quality of life throughout the lifespan.

We are part of Concordia University, and are affiliated with the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), the International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS), the PERFORM Centre, the Centre for Research on Aging (engAGE), and UNIQUE (Unifying Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence in Quebec).

We work closely with Dr. Robert Zatorre’s lab at McGill University on musical and auditory training, Dr. Sylvain Baillet’s Neurospeed lab on brain oscillations, and Dr. Giovanni Beltrame’s MIST Lab at Polytechnique Montréal on engineering-neuroscience collaborations.