Sarah Louise Hennessy.

Cognitive Scientist, Data Enthusiast, and Music-Lover.

I am a Post-Doctoral Scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, working with Dr. Jessica Andrews-Hanna and Dr. Matthew Grilli.

 

I recently completed my PhD at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute, studying Brain and Cognitive Science under the advisement of Dr. Assal Habibi and Dr. Antonio Damasio. ​

 

My research ​combines behavioral science and neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI) to explore:

​

1. How we construct and maintain a sense of self across the lifespan

2. How music can evoke emotions like nostalgia and trigger autobiographical memories that help preserve identity, even in the face of cognitive decline

3. How functional brain networks support the self, emotion, and memory in both typical and disrupted aging.

​

Outside of academia, I have worked in the health technology industry as a Research and Data Scientist.