Principal Investigator
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Emily Myers, Professor, Lab PIDepartment of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences I’m interested in the processes that allow a listener to map the speech signal to meaning, how these processes are instantiated in the brain, and how these processes break down in cases of language disorder. I received my Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University in 2005. My primary appointment is in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, with a joint appointment in Psychological Sciences. I also serve as co-director (with Inge-Marie Eigsti) of the NIH-funded T32 training program, CNC-CT, which supports predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars studying the cognitive neuroscience of communication. My current CV. See Research and Publications page for downloads/pdfs. Office: Phillips Communication Sciences Building 216 Contact: emily.myers@uconn.edu |
Senior Lab Members
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Hannah Mechtenberg is a Ph.D. student in Psychology. Her past research interests focused on the frontal lobe and its function in speech perception, and the role of the basal ganglia during category learning. Her current interests are in how analogical reasoning interacts with language processing during learning. She anticipates using behavioral and functional neuroimaging methods to investigate the interplay between these two systems. She received a B.S. in Neuroscience from Colorado State University in 2017, then came to the LAB Lab as a lab manager in 2018. |
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Anne Marie Crinnion is a Ph.D. student in Psychology. Some of her past research focused on computational modeling of acoustic cues. Currently, she is interested in how top-down information is integrated with lower-level acoustic information, from neural, computational, and behavioral perspectives. She received an A.B. from Harvard University in 2020, where she worked on object and letter processing. |
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Naomi Sellers is a Ph.D. student is Psychology who is interested in how input prediction and language error processing offer ways to study the intersection between language production and comprehension, and in how these processes vary across individuals. With a desire for clinical application, she wonders if language errors could give unique insights not only as a bridge between production and comprehension, but also as a bridge between normative and impaired language processing. She received a B.A. in Linguistics and in English from Regis University in 2018. |
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Portia Washington is a Ph.D. student in Psychology who is interested in how both auditory and written language comprehension are affected after individuals experience brain injuries, particularly strokes. She hopes to explore the ongoing role of neuroplasticity during the later stages of post-stroke recovery. As a McNair alum she is passionate about pursuing culturally responsive questions, and serving the greater community through research. She received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2021, where she worked on syntax and bilingual processing. |
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Hannah Olson is the current lab manager. Hannah received her M.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Hartford in 2020 and her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She previously completed her master’s thesis on accent imitation and voice switching in the LAB Lab. Her research interests include neuropsychology and psychological disorders, and she enjoys working with a variety of clinical populations. |
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Matt Phillips is a graduate research assistant in the Language and Brain Lab pursuing his master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. His research interests in the lab have included non-native speech sound learning, individual differences in speech perception, and stuttering. He received his B.A. from UConn in 2022, double majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences & Psychology. After obtaining clinical certification as an SLP, he plans on obtaining a PhD specializing in stuttering. |
Undergraduate Research Assistants
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Elizabeth Teskey is a senior majoring in speech, language and hearing sciences, and double minoring in cognitive science and psychology. She is interested in how language disorders and brain trauma can impact the production of speech. She is also interested in how developmental disorders play a role in children learning how to communicate. After graduation, Elizabeth plans on pursuing her master’s degree in either speech pathology or audiology. |
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Caitlyn Sodergren is a senior at UConn majoring in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences with a minor in psychology. She is really interested in how the brain works to produce language and how brain injuries impact our ability to process and produce speech. After graduating, Caitlyn hopes to further her education by pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. |
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Kavita Srirangam is a senior majoring in cognitive sciences and double minoring in computer science and psychology. She is interested in human cognition, specifically how it plays into speech and memory. She is also interested in artificial intelligence and how human cognition correlates to it. After graduation, Kavita plans on going to graduate school for neuropsychology or artificial intelligence. |
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Ava Sheard is a junior at UConn majoring in Speech, Language and Hearing sciences and minoring in Human Development and Family Studies. She is interested in the relationship between language disorders and the brain, and wishes to learn more about brain imaging. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for speech-language pathology. |
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Erica Croxford is a Senior majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She is interested in how brain injuries affect speech production across all ages. She hopes to learn more about Aphasia as well as brain imaging techniques. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue her master’s degree in Speech Pathology. |
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Manal Sheikh is a senior majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and minoring in Spanish. She is interested in aphasia and traumatic brain injuries. She wants to explore how they can impact our speech, comprehension, and reading skills. In addition, she is equally as interested in bilingualism and its influence on speech production. After graduation, Manal plans to attend a master’s program in speech-language pathology. |
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Ava Buckmir is a junior in the Honors Program, double majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research interests include how language works within the brain, as well as acquired neurogenic communication disorders such as aphasia and apraxia. After graduating, Ava plans to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. |
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Ashley Douglass is a junior, double majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Human Development and Family Sciences. She is interested in how TBI’s and cognitive disorders affect the production and processing of speech. She also hopes to gain more insight on brain imaging. After graduation, Ashley plans on attending graduate school for either speech pathology or audiology. |