Meet The Team
Principal Investigator
Dr. Assal Habibi
Dr. Assal Habibi is an Assistant Research Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute at University of Southern California. Her research takes a broad perspective on how biological dispositions and environmental factors interact and how learning experiences during childhood shape human development. She is an expert in the use of electrophysiologic and neuroimaging methods to investigate human brain structure and function and her research has published in several peer reviewed journals. Dr. Habibi completed her doctoral work at UC Irvine, investigating the effects of musical training in musicians, non-musicians and patients with auditory impairments. Dr. Habibi is a classically trained pianist and has many years of musical teaching experience with children.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Sarah Hennessy
Sarah Hennessy completed her PhD at the University of Southern California in 2024, studying Brain & Cognitive Science. Her primary research interests are in music-evoked memory and emotions such as nostalgia. She is a classically-trained violinist with a passion for all that lies at the intersection of science and the arts. In her free time, Sarah likes to sew and crochet, sing with her friends, and volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Research Coordinator
Devansh Bansal
Devansh Bansal recently graduated from USC with a BS in Computational Neuroscience and minor in Songwriting. He previously worked as a research assistant in the Brain and Music Lab to collect and analyze data on the effects of nostalgic music on autobiographical memory recall. Outside the lab, he also conducts independent research with Dr. Shana Adise at the University of Georgia's Brain Food Lab, performs with a competitive a cappella group, and loves to listen to and learn about new music. He hopes to pursue a PhD in cognitive neuroscience in the near future.
Research Coordinator
Caitlin Noel
A Presidential Scholar and class of 2024 undergraduate student, Caitlin completed her B.A. in Neuroscience and a minor in Songwriting from USC in 2024. She is a passionate member of the National Organization for Arts in Health, and has dedicated her life to the steadfast belief that music has unparalleled power to heal the brain. Caitlin served as a Musician-in-Residence on an adult oncology floor for three years providing bedside music. From making her solo piano debut in Carnegie Hall at 12 to now working in the lab, she has experienced firsthand just how important music is for healing and humanity. In her free time, she loves finding new music, relaxing at the beach with friends, and cuddling with her dogs.