NIH Demystifying Medicine: How Minds and Brains Create Language

Language acquisition is the complex process by which humans perceive, comprehend, and produce language in spoken, signed, or written forms. While much remains unknown — indeed, fiercely debated in linguistic circles — modern brain-probing tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) have opened exciting windows to study what appears to be this uniquely human trait.

Dr. Fedorenko is an associate professor in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, an investigator in the MIT McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the Middleton Career Development Associate Professor of Neuroscience. She uses behavioral and brain imaging methods in healthy adults, patients with acquired brain disorders, and “hyper-polyglots” with exceptional linguistic talent to investigate how we understand and produce language.

Dr. Biassou is a physician and staff clinician in the Radiology and Imaging Sciences Department at the NIH Clinical Center. Her interdisciplinary training places her at the cross section of applied linguistics and cognitive science, imaging, and medicine. A dedicated clinical educator, she has taught community physicians cutting-edge radiologic interpretation in various clinical settings throughout the Americas.

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