Research

Language and the human brain

Understanding speech feels effortless, yet within a fraction of a second the brain must turn a continuous stream of sound into words and meaning. In Dr. Christian Brodbeck’s lab, I study how this unfolds by recording magnetoencephalography (MEG) while people listen to natural, continuous speech. Using neural source current response functions (NCRFs), I model how acoustic and linguistic features of the speech drive activity across specific regions of cortex over time, revealing where and when the brain processes sounds, words, and meaning.

Language, action, and robotics

My doctoral research studied how embodied language develops in robotic systems. I developed a neural network architecture based on the Free Energy Principle, trained with multimodal data from an arm robot, and studied how learned behavior generalizes to novel contexts.

Cognitive neuroscience and metabolism

My earlier research examined ghrelin and related questions in metabolic neuroscience, including exercise endurance, feeding, glucose regulation, and survival in mouse models.

Cognitive and behavioral neuroscience

My research experience also includes computational modeling of decision-making and behavioral studies of effort, reward, and social cognition.