How do you work?
Below are a series of links to research from our lab and others that can help you figure out how your brain works!
COGNITION AND CORTICAL DYNAMICS LABORATORY
All of my research focuses on individual differences. Descriptions of my primary interests, along with representative publications, are presented below. For more information about our research at the CCDL, click the link below!
Complex Skill LearningWhen people learn new complex skills like a second "natural" language (e.g., French) or a programming language (e.g., Python), many different types of information compete to grab the attention of the learner. My research examines how differences in brain functioning and cognitive capabilities relate to what and how well an individual will learn.
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Language in the BrainI believe that language is the "peacock feather" of human cognition. It allows us to use symbolic short cuts for thinking and communicating with others. So much of the brain is involved in this process, and my research has focused on some of the less well understood of these regions, including the right hemisphere and subcortical structures.
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Reading SkillReading sits at the intersection of my other two interests: complex skill learning and language. Reading is an entirely learned skill (no one is born a good reader) that is critical for functioning in modern society. I am particularly interested in how experience and general cognitive processes interact to give rise to higher-level reading comprehension, such as the processes required to generate inferences.
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