Psychoacoustics

Dr. Malcolm Slaney is a research scientist in the Machine Hearing Group at Google Research, where he leads a project on saliency and attention. He received his PhD from Purdue University for his work on imaging with inverse scattering. He is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford CCRMA, and he has led the Hearing Seminar for more than 20 years. Dr. Slaney is also an Affiliate Faculty in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Washington. 

Research topics include neural oscillations for auditory perception, auditory-motor coupling, brain plasticity in development and aging, recovery from stroke with music-supported therapy, and re-learning of speech and music after cochlear implantation.

Described as “gripping” by both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, “poignant”, “richly evocative” (San Francisco Chronicle), “taut, and hauntingly beautiful” (NY Times), Jonathan Berger’s recent works deal with both consciousness and conscience. His chamber operas, Theotokia and The War Reporter explore hallucination and haunting memories, while his monodrama, My Lai portrays the ethical dilemmas of an individual placed in an impossible situation.