My research focuses on (individual differences in) language processing in the brain, both in the adult and during child language development. In my work I have used a combination of different neuroimaging techniques (EEG, fMRI, MEG), in both typical and clinical populations.
During their first years of life children learn their native language, while at the same time their brains are rapidly developing. How do children develop language in the (maturing) language-ready brain? What brain mechanisms underlie the acquisition of language? How do social cues affect language development? These are questions I address in my research.
Currently I am investigating the effect of cortical speech tracking on language acquisition. Do infants' brains resonate with the rhythm of speech, and are individual differences herein related to their word segmentation abilities and their later language development?