Postdoctoral Fellows

Camila Alviar is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Music Cognition Lab studying how children and adults with and without developmental disabilities entrain to the rhythms of social interaction. Camila holds a PhD in Cognitive and Information Sciences from the University of California, Merced. Her graduate work focused on the dynamics of multimodal coordination during language use and their change as a result of discourse level variables, such as communicative goals and contextual constrains. Camila’s research interests also include the dynamics of interpersonal coordination under challenging communicative situations.

In her free time, Camila loves sharing time with loved ones and having stimulating conversations. She also enjoys trying new food, knitting, planting stuff, and cuddling with her cat.

Noah Fram is a postdoctoral research fellow working with Dr. Miriam Lense. His research draws on computational modelling techniques to probe the relationship between temporal prediction and social function in autism. Prior to joining the Music Cognition Lab, Noah earned his PhD from Stanford University under Dr. Jonathan Berger and Dr. Takako Fujioka, his MPhil in music studies at the University of Cambridge under Dr. Ian Cross and his BA in theatre and mathematics at Vanderbilt University.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Noah is a composer and writer working primarily in theatre, and spent several years as a theatrical lighting designer and stage technician. Most recently, his musical The Glass Cage was featured in West Edge Opera’s Snapshot Festival (2021). When he’s not working on a new project, whether academic or creative, Noah can be found reading novels (and occasionally reviewing them for the Nashville-based litmag Bookpage), cooking, playing with his cat, or making music with any instrument he can get his hands on.

Dr. Smith is a postdoctoral research scholar in the Music Cognition Lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. With 15 years of experience as a music therapist in pediatric healthcare, she has a strong foundation in supporting the developmental needs of children. Prior to her current role, Dr. Smith served as a postdoctoral scholar in the Baby Health Behavior Lab at the Children’s Mercy Research Institute in Kansas City and held a position as an assistant professor in Music Therapy at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Her research focuses on multi-disciplinary studies evaluating music therapy practices in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the effectiveness of music-enrichment programs for high-risk infant populations. Currently, Dr. Smith is dedicated to developing music interventions aimed at enhancing early language development for preterm infants and other vulnerable groups.

Dr. Emily Thompson is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Music Cognition Laboratory, jointly mentored by Drs. Miriam Lense and Reyna Gordon. Dr. Thompson also maintains TN state licensure as an ASHA-certified pediatric audiologist (CCC-A). Dr. Thompson holds a B.A. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Psychology (University of Connecticut; 2015), an Au.D. specializing in management of childhood hearing loss (Vanderbilt School of Medicine; 2019), and a Ph.D. in hearing science (Vanderbilt Graduate School; 2024).

As a translational clinician-researcher, Dr. Thompson's primary interests include early child development, newborn hearing screenings, aural rehabilitation, assistive technology, auditory neuroscience, and effective intervention approaches for autistic preschoolers. Dr. Thompson's future work aims to explore holistic initiatives to support psychosocial skills and language growth for youth with hearing loss, promote advocacy for families with multiple disabilities, and enhance healthcare access to underserved communities.