Art and Science of the Brain’s Response to Sound

In his University of Maryland lab, Nikolas Francis uses cutting-edge scientific tools and methods to analyze how we’re able to focus on a sound, recognize it and react. Ultimately, his research could help identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of hearing disorders and advance our understanding of how we listen to sound.

Outside his role as assistant professor with joint appointments in the Department of Biology and the Brain and Behavior Institute, Francis is a percussionist in the D.C. jazz scene—but the two sides of his identity aren’t as disparate as they might initially seem. 

As an improvisational musician, keeping in sync with his fellow musicians means careful listening and instantaneous responses to their changes and cues. “Arguably, playing music is one of the heights of the listening experience,” he said.