BEAT Lab (@McMaster)

The BEAT Lab is an interdisciplinary research group at McMaster University, led by Dr. Lauren Fink, studying how people engage with each other in social and artistic settings. We use mobile eye tracking, wearable sensors, and custom software to investigate real-world attention and interaction. Our work focuses on dynamic environments like live performance, where perception, attention, and non-verbal communication unfold in real time. We often find ourselves at the intersection of the arts and sciences—using technology to study creative performance, and integrating our tools and research into performances themselves. Our team brings together scientists, artists, and technologists to: 🧠 Explore how the brain and body support social interaction 👀 Study attention and motor behaviour outside the lab 🎵 Understand how people interact and synchronize in group settings 💻 Build tools and algorithms for analyzing physiological and musical data We combine neuroscience, psychology, computing, and the arts to push the boundaries of how we study—and participate in—social experience.