Here you will find news and updates about the research and researchers in LAURA.
This year’s Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC) will take place on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 June. Seven LAURA PhD Students will be presenting talks showcasing their research: Neesa Suncheuri Sunar’s SPARC talk title is: Auditory Aphantasia and Musical Cognition: Rethinking Inner Hearing and Audiation. Neesa will present during the first ‘Sound’ session on Tuesday morning. Addie […]
The below post was written by Lorenzo Bonoldi about his upcoming conference presentation. I am pleased to share that my study exploring how hearing differences shape professional music mixing practices has been accepted for presentation at the Society for Music Production Research (SMPR) Conference 2026, marking what I see as an important contribution to the […]
PhD student Silvia Castellano recently presented her PhD work at SEMPRE conference on the 16 April 2026 at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge. The conference brought together postgraduate and early career researchers (PGRs/ECRs) in the fields of music psychology and music education.
PhD researcher Xsara Helmi is pleased to share that the article “Hospital noises: sonic autobiography and the embodied experience of autistic auditory perception – a transdisciplinary arts-practice enquiry,” published in the Journal of Creative Research Methods, has been selected for the latest Editors’ Choice Collection from Bristol University Press. Previously announced on publication, the article has now been […]
PhD researcher Xsara Helmi will be a visiting student at Cambridge Digital Humanities at the University of Cambridge during Michaelmas term 2026. During the visit, Helmi will be supervised by her external advisor, Prof. John L. Drever. and will further develop and share her research within the Cambridge Digital Humanities community. Helmi’s project, The Numinous Ear: Autistic Listening and Aural Diversity […]
The Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Doctoral Research Hub (LAURA) at the University of Salford will hold its secondAural Diversity Conference Date 3 September 2026 Location This conference will be held in-person at the University of Salford, MediaCityUK B4, Orange Tower, Salford M50 2HE, with an option for virtual/hybrid attendance. What is aural diversity? The concept […]
PhD students Sena Dokmeci and Paula Schneider recently presented their posters at the Experimental Psychology Society meeting in Newcastle. The meeting was an opportunity to share a research plan for the first study of their PhDs. See the conference programme here. Sena Dokmeci Sena shared the following about the experience: ‘I had the opportunity to […]
The Numinous Ear: Autistic Listening and Aural Diversity as a Gateway to the Divine and Sublime PhD researcher Xsara Helmi from LAURA (The Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Research Hub) is grateful for the opportunity to present The Numinous Ear: Autistic Listening and Aural Diversity as a Gateway to the Divine and Sublime at Sacred Arts 2026: Exploring the […]
HOSPITAL NOISES: Sonic Autobiography and the Embodied Experience of Autistic Auditory Perception – A Transdisciplinary Arts-Practice Inquiry Xsara Helmi, PhD Researcher with LAURA (The Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Research Doctoral Hub), funded by the Leverhulme Trust, is pleased to announce her article, ‘HOSPITAL NOISES: Sonic Autobiography and the Embodied Experience of Autistic Auditory Perception – […]
Our second cohort of students started their projects in October 2025. Please find details about their projects below. Neesa Sunar is working with supervisors Dr Adam Hart and Dr Goncalo Barradas on a project titled: Neurodiversity of Audiation and Mental Practice: A Survey of Aphantasic Musicians Paula Helene Schneider is working with supervisors Professor Bill […]