ABOUT US

Brain, Behavior, and Broader Learning Lab

Where we study the causes and consequences of individual differences in language and reading skills!

What We Study

In this lab, we want to better understand how one’s external environment and experiences and internal cognitive and biological factors drive individual differences in language and reading skills. In particular, our work focuses on understanding how these skills develop in linguistically diverse individuals (e.g., second-language English speakers), an underserved but rapidly growing population in the United States.

Who We Study

While language and reading skills can continue to develop throughout the lifespan, our research focuses on two specific developmental periods: (1) Early Childhood and (2) Young Adulthood.

How We Study

Humans are complex – so if we want to understand what drives differences in language and reading skills, then we need to take a multidimensional approach. In our lab, we primarily use three types of data to try to understand individual differences: (1) Behavioral (e.g., paper-and-pencil or computer-based games and assessments), (2) Neuroimaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, or electroencephalography, EEG), and (3) Large-scale public datasets (e.g., student data reported by school districts).