Current Research Projects

  • The Neural Organization of Auditory Perception

The goal of this project is to understand the neural organization of various aspects of speech and auditory cognition in humans including perception and production of speech and music, environmental sounds, and non-meaningful acoustic stimuli such as tones and clicks. We use standard non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods to visualize brain regions that are active while participants listen and respond to specific types of digitized auditory or visual stimuli. This study will lead to a better understanding of the neurology of auditory perception in a range of domains: we will learn (1) which neural systems are involved in processing auditory stimuli, (2) whether different classes of auditory stimuli are processed by different neural systems or whether there is some degree of overlap, and if so, to what extent, (3) whether subtypes of auditory classes (e.g., words versus sentences in speech or melodic versus rhythmic variation in music) are processed separately, (4) the effects of selective attention and learning on the neural response to various types of auditory stimuli, (5) the role of auditory cortex in speech production, and (6) the relation between auditory-related neural systems and neural systems supporting non-auditory functions.

  • Neurobiology of Auditory Language Perception: Neuropsychological Investigations

The goal of this project is to map the neural systems supporting auditory language perception/recognition. Specifically, we use neuropsychological methods the analysis of patterns of behavioral deficits in patients with neurological disease to understand which neural regions are involved in processing auditory presented speech at the phoneme, word, and sentence level. In some cases this involves the analysis of the location of acquired brain lesions and their correlation with behavioral measures, in others it involves analysis of behavioral performance in patient groups with diseases affecting certain brain systems.

  • The neural organization of speech production

This study is funded by a National Science Foundation grant aimed at testing the hypothesis that the speech coordination system is composed of two separable but interacting subsystems, (i) a dorsolateral system coordinating pitch-related aspects speech, prosody, and song and (ii) a ventrolateral system coordinating phonetic articulation at the segment and syllable level. Experiments involve fMRI measurements of auditory-motor speech ability including altered auditory feedback using phonetic, prosodic, and music stimuli.

Broader Impact: Improved well-being of individuals. It’s not hard to foresee applications of this work to the clinic where speech/language disorders remain highly disruptive and difficulty to treat. Perhaps once we appreciate two broad sources of speech/language disruption, we can design better assessments and more effective treatments, including neural prostheses. In addition, our work on the neural architecture of language has been particularly helpful in neurosurgical planning and is now part of advanced training in that field.

  • Auditory Psychophysics and Perception

The long-term objective of the proposed research is to improve our understanding of how the auditory system facilitates the detection and recognition of complex sounds such as speech or music. This project involves the study of the human auditory system using psychophysical (behavioral) procedures. The experiments make use of behavioral measures and in some cases non-invasive EEG (electroencephalographic) recordings.

  • Computational Neuroanatomical of Speech Processing

We are working on developing an integrative neurocomputational model of speech production, drawing on constructs from (psycho) linguistics, motor control, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience. We are also developing a computational model that mimics the natural neural processing of music, including rhythm processing and the processing of the emotional content of music.

  • Functional Anatomy of Language and Music Perception

The Auditory and Language Perception and Neuroimaging Laboratory conducts basic research in the areas of hearing, speech, and music using a combination of psychophysical, computational modeling, and functional brain imaging (fMRI) methods. Our goal is to understand the cortical and behavioral mechanisms that underlie the coding of complex sounds at both peripheral (low-level) and central (high-level) regions of the brain. Current projects include the study of cognitive models of musical memory, brain mechanisms involved in coding basic acoustic features (or building blocks) of speech and music, and computational/mathematical models of spatial and virtual-reality 3D hearing. We are also developing a computational model that mimics the natural neural processing of music, including rhythm processing and the processing of the emotional content of music.

  • Neurobiology of Auditory Language Perception: Neuropsychological Investigations

The goal of this project is to map the neural systems supporting auditory language perception/recognition. Specifically, we use neuropsychological methods the analysis of patterns of behavioral deficits in patients with neurological disease to understand which neural regions are involved in processing auditory presented speech at the phoneme, word, and sentence level. In some cases this involves the analysis of the location of acquired brain lesions and their correlation with behavioral measures, in others it involves analysis of behavioral performance in patient groups with diseases affecting certain brain systems.