Faculty Advisor
Contact Information
Research Area
Education
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Expected 2014, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
M.S., Clinical Psychology, 2010, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
B.A., Psychology, 2005, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Societies
Phi Beta Kappa
Association of University Centers on Developmental Disabilities, trainee, 2008 - present
American Psychological Association, Graduate Student Representative, 2009
Society for Music Perception and Cognition, 2011 - present
American Psychological Society, 2012 - present
Miriam Lense
Graduate Student
Research Area: Clinical Science
My research uses behavioral and biological (including electrophysiology, neuroimaging, and hormonal biomarkers) measures to understand the use and enjoyment of music in various populations, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and at-risk infants and young children. I am particularly interested in links among auditory perception, musical skill, and emotional responsiveness to music; the development of musical skill via enculturation and training; music and memory; and music and movement. I feel music is a valuable tool for studying a range of perceptual, cognitive, motor and affective processes, and can also be harnessed for therapeutic purposes. I am also very interested in stress biology, including how emotion and arousal (including modulation of arousal via music) can impact cognitive functioning.
Representative Publications
Lense, M.D., Gordon, R.L., Key, A., & Dykens, E.M. (in press). Neural correlates of cross-modal affective priming by music in Williams syndrome. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
Lense, M.D., Tomarken, A.J., & Dykens, E.M. (in press). Diurnal cortisol profile in Williams syndrome in novel and familiar settings. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Miodrag, N., Lense, M.D., & Dykens, E.M. (2012). A pilot study of a mindfulness intervention for individuals with Williams syndrome: Physiological outcomes. Mindfulness, 3(4).
Lense, M.D. & Dykens, E.M. (2012). Musical learning in children and adults with Williams syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01611.x
Lense, M.D., Gordon, R.L., Key, A.F., & Dykens, E.M. Neural correlates of musical timbre perception in Williams syndrome. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Music Perception & Cognition (ICMPC12), July 2012, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Lense, M.D., Key, A.F., & Dykens, E. M. (2011). Attentional disengagement in adults with Williams syndrome. Brain and Cognition, 77, 201-207.
Lense, M.D. & Dykens, E.M. (2011). Musical interests and abilities in individuals with developmental disabilities. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, 41, 265-312.
Tramo, M.J., Lense, M., Van Ness, C., Kagan, L., Settle, M.D., & Cronin, J.H. (2011). Effects of music on physiological and behavioral indices of acute pain and stress in premature infants: clinical trial and literature review. Music and Medicine, 3(2), 72-83.
Dykens, E.M. & Lense, M. (2011). Intellectual disabilities and Autism spectrum disorder: A cautionary note. In D. Amaral, G. Dawson, & D. Geschwind (Eds.), Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 261-269), Oxford University Press.
Honors
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND), 2012-2013
David Zeaman Student Travel Award, Gatlinburg Conference, 2012
Interdisciplinary Training Conference in Developmental Disabilities, NICHD, 2011
Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation, awarded 2008
University Graduate Fellowship, Vanderbilt University, 2008-2013
Peabody Dean’s Fellowship for Professional Development, Vanderbilt University, 2008