Srishti Nayak

Srishti Nayak, PhD is an interdisciplinary scientist and researcher at the Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab. She is also a visiting scholar at the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Psychology department, and affiliated faculty at the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute. Her research interests span human communication, musicality, and neurocognitive skills, and how these unfold across the lifespan. She holds a PhD from Boston University in the Psychological and Brain Sciences, with a focus on brain, behavior, cognition, and development. She joined our faculty in 2022 after completing postdoctoral training with Dr. Reyna Gordon in the genetics and neurobiology of communication and musicality. As an international scholar from India, she has studied and worked across many countries. During her undergraduate studies in the Cognitive Sciences, she was awarded scholarships to attend York University (Canada), and to participate in an international exchange program at the National University of Singapore.

Alongside her research interests, Srishti is also a passionate educator with 10 years of university teaching experience across Princeton University, Boston University, and guest lectures at other institutions. Her teaching has been supported by multiple competitive fellowships. She currently mentors research trainees across Vanderbilt, Boston University, and MTSU.

Outside of work, Srishti loves rock climbing, kayaking, comic books, and any music with a great bass line.