A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DR. TRAINOR’S BACKGROUND & WORK
Laurel Trainor received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Toronto and is a Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour at McMaster University. She has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Music Perception and Cognition and the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Arts Culture and Design, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Trainor is a prolific researcher and has been a long-time supporter of the European Journal of Neuroscience (He et al., 2009; Fujioka et al., 2011; Slugocki & Trainor, 2014; Flaten et al., 2022; Prete et al., 2022; Poikonen et al., 2024). Trainor’s research focuses on the role of music in development and social behaviors. Her lab has shown how infants learn the structure of the music in their culture similarly to how they learn the language in their environment. Her studies on rhythm perception demonstrate that listening to rhythms activates brain networks associated with motor control, reflecting multisensory interactions measurable by EEG and MEG. She also explores how rhythm and timing facilitate communication, increasing prosocial behavior through synchronous movement. Trainor founded and directs the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind (MIMM) and its LIVELab, a research concert hall for studying music’s influence on the brain and mind, including performer-audience and performer-performer interactions. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Toronto and is the principal flutist in the Burlington Symphony Orchestra.