hello!

I study how the human brain processes language.

My interests and experiences have brought me to MIT’s Brain & Cognitive Sciences department and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, where I work with Ev Fedorenko and an incredible team of language scientists at EvLab. While my research broadly intends to map out the neural footprints of language, my interests diverge along three trails:

• Bilingualism | How does the ability to use multiple languages change how the brain processes language?

  Mounting evidence suggests that experience with two or more linguistic inventories imposes structural and functional changes upon the brain. Using a mix of neuroimaging, behavioral, and other techniques, I aim not only to understand these changes, but also to convey their importance as both a scientific lens and framework for interpersonal flourishing.

• Language & Emotion | What makes language emotional?

  Neither the parts nor sum of language and emotion are straightforward. Individuals differ in how they interpret linguistic expressions of emotion, and their own expressions are hardly more consistent. Accordingly, I want to ask i) how we map emotion onto language, and ii) what mechanisms underly our ability to update these mappings on-line and in emotional contexts.

• Language & Culture | What role does culture play in language processing?

  Along a similar vein, differences in linguistic abilities and preferences are influenced by culture. Here I aim to understand the constraints imposed upon language processing by i) differences in individuals' varying cultural backgrounds and ii) the cross-cultural contexts they navigate.

The brain’s functional landscape is yet largely unexplored. You can read more about what I and my delightful collaborators have discovered in pursuit of these questions, where I’ve been along the way, and what other curiosities occupy my brain as you explore the terrain of this site. Otherwise –– if I’m not doing science, I’m probably hiking.

Happy (neural) trails! :)