Retrieving archive records…
Creative technologists, DSP software architects, acoustic engineers, instrument builders and speculative designers directing research initiatives at the Zazie Institute of Applied Anomalies.
Total Fellows: 20 Core Researchers
Director of Research & Applied Anomalies
SPECIALIZATION: Acoustic Feedback Dynamics & Speculative Sound Hardware
Dr. Thorne directs the core applied anomalies research group at ZIAA. With a background in experimental physics and computer music, their work explores boundary acoustic phenomena: intentional electroacoustic feedback loops, material resonance in unconventional mineral substrates, and self-regulating acoustic instruments. Formerly a visiting researcher at IRCAM and CCRMA.
Principal DSP Architect & Creative Technologist
SPECIALIZATION: Real-Time Audio Algorithms & Low-Latency Software Systems
Elena Mstislav leads software architecture at the Institute, authoring custom C++ and WebAssembly digital signal processing engines. Her research focuses on low-latency audio pipelines, micro-buffer wavetable interpolation, and real-time spatial audio rendering engines for immersive multi-speaker environments.
Head of Perceptual Interfaces & Physical Computing
SPECIALIZATION: Haptic Audio Controllers & Microtonal Tactile Surfaces
Dr. Callow designs novel physical instruments that translate microtonal tuning, polyphonic pressure, and tactile acoustic feedback into expressive performance systems. Her work merges traditional instrument luthiery with motorized haptic actuators and precision capacitance arrays.
Lead Speculative Engineer & Mechanical Prototyper
SPECIALIZATION: Analog Tape Delay Systems & Kinetic Acoustic Mechanisms
Kaveh Danesh specializes in electro-mechanical sound apparatus, custom magnetic tape loop transports, and precision kinetic instruments. His research investigates physical wear, friction hysteresis, and mechanical sound degradation as fertile artistic mediums.
Chair of Computational Creativity & Algorithmic Composition
SPECIALIZATION: Autonomous Musical Agents & Procedural Scoring Engines
Mireille O'Connor researches algorithmic musical composition and generative audio agents. She develops software architectures that autonomously navigate vast microtonal harmonic spaces, generating non-repeating orchestral and electronic compositions responsive to environmental parameters.
Senior Acoustic Architect & Spatial Systems Lead
SPECIALIZATION: High-Order Ambisonics & Architectural Reverberation
Soren Lindqvist designs spatial sound systems for public pavilions, museums, and natural landscapes. His work combines architectural acoustics, binaural synthesis, and multi-channel beamforming to create sound fields that interact directly with physical space.
Head of Signal Archaeology & Archival Audio
SPECIALIZATION: Non-Contact Optical Audio Extraction & Media Reconstruction
Dr. Takahashi develops optical and computational techniques for reading fragile, damaged, or unplayable sound recordings. Using laser triangulation, high-resolution confocal microscopy, and artifact-removal algorithms, her lab reconstructs historical soundscapes from decaying media.
Embedded Systems & Firmware Engineer
SPECIALIZATION: FPGA Audio Routing, ARM Microcontrollers & Dante Networks
Nils Holst builds the embedded hardware foundations for ZIAA prototypes. He develops custom bare-metal firmware for ARM Cortex-M7 and FPGA chips, enabling high-channel-count, zero-latency audio routing, OSC networking, and MIDI 2.0 integration.
Sound Designer & Modular Synthesis Fellow
SPECIALIZATION: Analog Circuit Design, Wave-Terrain Synthesis & Expressive Controls
Lucian Mercer designs analog synthesis circuitry and expressive performance modules. His work blends chaotic circuit topology with digital wave-shaping, producing unpredictable yet musically rich timbral behavior.
Field Systems Lead & Remote Sensing Specialist
SPECIALIZATION: Autonomous Acoustic Monitoring & Environmental Hydrophones
Marcus Brody manages ZIAA's remote field stations, deploying autonomous, solar-powered listening posts in desert, marine, and sub-glacial environments. His engineering ensures reliable audio telemetry across harsh climatic conditions.
Psychoacoustics & Auditory Perception Researcher
SPECIALIZATION: Phantom Fundamentals, Binaural Illusions & Spatial Masking
Dr. Mansour studies how the human brain reconstructs missing audio frequencies, interprets spatial cues, and perceives acoustic illusions. Her discoveries inform the design of compact spatial speakers and interactive sound installations.
Senior Fellow in Speculative Design & Design Fiction
SPECIALIZATION: Speculative Patents, Critical Hardware & Media History
Professor Vance examines how speculative design, imaginary patents, and design fiction can provoke new ways of thinking about sound, memory, and technology. He oversees ZIAA's speculative patent archive and defensive disclosure strategy.
Machine Learning & Neural Audio Specialist
SPECIALIZATION: Neural Resynthesis, Latent Audio Spaces & Feature Extraction
Dr. Al-Haddad builds real-time neural audio synthesizers and generative models that morph between distinct acoustic timbres while running smoothly on standard consumer hardware and embedded platforms.
Electroacoustic Luthier & Acoustic Material Researcher
SPECIALIZATION: Resonant Wood Physics, Mineral Lithophones & Contact Transducers
Dr. Kenji Takahashi combines traditional Japanese instrument-building traditions with modern sensor electronics. He develops custom contact microphones, internal bracing patterns, and physical resonators that blend acoustic and digital sound.
Creative Software Systems Architect
SPECIALIZATION: WebAudio, Open-Source Creative Tools & Networked Systems
Dr. Evelyn O'Connor authors open-source software libraries for sound artists and creative technologists. Her frameworks for WebAudio, multichannel browser streaming, and distributed performance tools have been adopted worldwide.
Associate Fellow in Acoustic Ecology
SPECIALIZATION: Soundscape Ecology, Bio-Acoustics & Anthropogenic Noise
Dr. Lindqvist studies changing acoustic environments in polar and marine habitats, investigating how shifting ice dynamics and human shipping corridors alter underwater acoustic soundscapes.
Kinetic Sound & Robotic Instrument Designer
SPECIALIZATION: Automated Percussion Solenoids & Motorized Acoustic Actuators
Dr. Patel designs robotic musical instruments that mechanically strike, bow, and pluck physical acoustic objects with micro-second velocity accuracy, linking algorithmic composition directly to physical vibrating matter.
Spatial Sound & Ambisonic Composition Fellow
SPECIALIZATION: 3D Loudspeaker Arrays & Site-Specific Sound Choreography
Camille Laurent is an artist and sound engineer composing spatial sound works for dome environments and historic architecture, utilizing custom trajectory-panning software.
Bio-Acoustic & Environmental Transduction Fellow
SPECIALIZATION: Plant Bio-Electricity to CV Modulation & Ecological Sonification
Rowan Vance investigates subtle biological voltages in desert flora, converting circadian cellular rhythms into control voltages for analog modular synthesizers.
Hardware Fabrication & Acoustic Metrology Engineer
SPECIALIZATION: Precision CNC Machining, Transducer Calibration & Clean Assembly
Isolde Chen leads physical prototyping fabrication at ZIAA, ensuring tight mechanical tolerances for custom acoustic horns, speaker enclosures, and delicate sensor housings.