Matthew Sachs
Matthew Sachs is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on understanding the neural and behavioral mechanisms involved in emotions and feelings in response to music. He received his PhD from the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute, directed by Dr. Antonio Damasio, and his B.A. from Harvard University. He is the 2019 Robert A. Burt Presidential Scholar in Society and Neuroscience. Matthew completed the PSSN program in 2022. His research project involved applying data-driven, multivariate models to capture the patterns of neural activity that accompany uniquely human experiences with music, such as feelings of chills, pleasurable sadness, and nostalgia. He currently works for Spotify where he conducts research as a data scientist.