A $200,000 prize is music to the ears of leading-edge researcher and YCSC Assistant Professor Adjunct Samuel Mehr.
Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsSamuel Mehr
Associate Professor Adjunct in the Child Study CenterAbout
Research
Publications
Featured Publications
How games can make behavioural science better
Long B, Simson J, Buxó-Lugo A, Watson D, Mehr S. How games can make behavioural science better. Nature 2023, 613: 433-436. PMID: 36650244, DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-00065-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures
Hilton C, Moser C, Bertolo M, Lee-Rubin H, Amir D, Bainbridge C, Simson J, Knox D, Glowacki L, Alemu E, Galbarczyk A, Jasienska G, Ross C, Neff M, Martin A, Cirelli L, Trehub S, Song J, Kim M, Schachner A, Vardy T, Atkinson Q, Salenius A, Andelin J, Antfolk J, Madhivanan P, Siddaiah A, Placek C, Salali G, Keestra S, Singh M, Collins S, Patton J, Scaff C, Stieglitz J, Cutipa S, Moya C, Sagar R, Anyawire M, Mabulla A, Wood B, Krasnow M, Mehr S. Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures. Nature Human Behaviour 2022, 6: 1545-1556. PMID: 35851843, PMCID: PMC10101735, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01410-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAcoustic featuresAdult-directed speechInfant-directed speechEnglish language websitesRecordings of infantsLinguistic relatednessAcoustic regularitiesListeners' sensitivityHuman communicationPsychological functionsAcoustic differencesSmall-scale societiesSongsSpeechAcoustic profilesCultureVocalizationsCommunicationLanguagePeopleListenersVocalizerMusicSocietyCommon setUniversality and diversity in human song
Mehr S, Singh M, Knox D, Ketter D, Pickens-Jones D, Atwood S, Lucas C, Jacoby N, Egner A, Hopkins E, Howard R, Hartshorne J, Jennings M, Simson J, Bainbridge C, Pinker S, O'Donnell T, Krasnow M, Glowacki L. Universality and diversity in human song. Science 2019, 366 PMID: 31753969, PMCID: PMC7001657, DOI: 10.1126/science.aax0868.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInfants relax in response to unfamiliar foreign lullabies
Bainbridge C, Bertolo M, Youngers J, Atwood S, Yurdum L, Simson J, Lopez K, Xing F, Martin A, Mehr S. Infants relax in response to unfamiliar foreign lullabies. Nature Human Behaviour 2020, 5: 256-264. PMID: 33077883, PMCID: PMC8220405, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-00963-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMusical experienceMusical featuresListener experienceLullabiesAcoustic formForeign societiesFussy infantAdult listenersHuman mindDifferent culturesElectrodermal activitySongsBehavioral functionsInfant's parentsExperienceParentsMusicListenersPupillometryCultureInfantsMindFirst yearSocietyUS infantsFor 5-Month-Old Infants, Melodies Are Social
Mehr S, Song L, Spelke E. For 5-Month-Old Infants, Melodies Are Social. Psychological Science 2016, 27: 486-501. PMID: 26917211, DOI: 10.1177/0956797615626691.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSelective attentionFamiliar melodiesRemarkable memoryNew personUnfamiliar melodiesUnfamiliar adultsFamiliar songsNovel individualsUnfamiliar songsSocial partnersDifferent melodiesMelodyNovel songsOlder infantsSong exposureSocial meaningPersonsToysMemorySongsInfantsInteractive videoParentsSingingAdultsUniversal interpretations of vocal music
Yurdum L, Singh M, Glowacki L, Vardy T, Atkinson Q, Hilton C, Sauter D, Krasnow M, Mehr S. Universal interpretations of vocal music. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2023, 120: e2218593120. PMID: 37676911, PMCID: PMC10500275, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218593120.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVocal musicDance songsSmall-scale societiesUniversal interpretationHuman songMusical diversityMusical featuresUnfamiliar songsCultural contentUnfamiliar languageGlobal mediaMusicSongsCultural evolutionLullabiesAcoustic characteristicsListenersBehavioral contextSocietyPerceptual phenomenaContextSingersEnglishLanguagePerceptual sensitivityLanguage experience predicts music processing in a half-million speakers of fifty-four languages
Liu J, Hilton C, Bergelson E, Mehr S. Language experience predicts music processing in a half-million speakers of fifty-four languages. Current Biology 2023, 33: 1916-1925.e4. PMID: 37105166, PMCID: PMC10306420, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.067.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-tonal languagesNative speakersTonal languageTonal language speakersUse of pitchMusic perception skillsLanguage speakersLinguistic experienceDiverse languagesLanguage experienceLinguistic pitchPerception of pitchCultural differencesSpeakersLanguageLifelong experienceMusic perceptionMusic trainingPerception skillsMusic processingMusical beatAuditory processingMusical melodiesHuman mindMusic lessons
2025
The Expanded Natural History of Song Discography, A Global Corpus of Vocal Music
Bertolo M, Snarskis M, Kyritsis T, Yurdum L, Bainbridge C, Atwood S, Hilton C, Keomurjian A, Lee J, Mackiel A, Mak V, Shin M, Bitran A, Shilton D, Delasanta L, Do H, Lang J, Irani T, Kangatharan J, Lafleur K, Malko N, Atkinson Q, Singh M, Mehr S. The Expanded Natural History of Song Discography, A Global Corpus of Vocal Music. Open Mind 2025, 9: 844-863. PMID: 40697896, PMCID: PMC12283151, DOI: 10.1162/opmi.a.4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchVocal musicAcoustic contentPsychology of musicContent of songsRich historySongCultural evolutionMusicAcoustic formEvolution of songCognitive scienceVocal featuresLanguageCultureCorpusContextHistoryDiscographyMindfulnessHuman behaviorSocietyQuestions of universalityPsychologyLanguage familiesBehavioral contextCore systems of music perception
Mehr S. Core systems of music perception. Trends In Cognitive Sciences 2025, 29: 763-777. PMID: 40517090, PMCID: PMC12328076, DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2025.05.013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEcological Momentary Assessment Reveals Causal Effects of Music Enrichment on Infant Mood
Cho E, Yurdum L, Ebinne E, Hilton C, Lai E, Bertolo M, Brown P, Milosh B, Sened H, Tamir D, Mehr S. Ecological Momentary Assessment Reveals Causal Effects of Music Enrichment on Infant Mood. Child Development 2025, 96: 1555-1567. PMID: 40432545, PMCID: PMC12208017, DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14246.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInfant-directed singingEcological momentary assessmentEnrichment interventionsMusical enrichmentParental singingPost-intervention improvementsMusicSingingCaregiver moodImprove healthMomentary assessmentCausal effectsLong-term effectsRandomized trialsMoodInterventionHuman infancyLonger-termHealthInfantsInfant moodTrialsParents
News
News
- June 02, 2025Source: NPR
Do you sing to your baby? NPR wants to know what songs you sing
- June 02, 2025Source: Earth.com
Singing to babies is a powerful way to boost their mood
- May 28, 2025
Singing to Babies Improves Their Moods
- May 02, 2024Source: University of Auckland News
Samuel Mehr: the scientist unravelling music’s mysteries
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