Sarah Louise Hennessy.
Cognitive Scientist, Data Enthusiast, and Music-Lover.

About
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:
​
-
How we construct and maintain a sense of self across the lifespan
-
How music can evoke emotions like nostalgia and trigger autobiographical memories that help preserve identity, even in the face of cognitive decline
-
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.