Research & Publications

Language and cognition: leveraging individual differences to explore language as a faculty

My research uses these individual differences, from rich multilingual experiences to varying reading abilities, as a powerful window into how language works as a unique human faculty. By viewing this variability through an evolutionary lens, I explore how language connects with (and splits off from) general cognitive systems like memory and executive control. Ultimately, by embracing the diverse ways human brains process language, we can better understand how this extraordinary capacity evolved and how it dynamically interacts with other networks and systems. 

To explore these complex interactions, we collected a great dataset, including behavioural tasks in many domains relevant to language and learning, comprehensive MRI images and genetics. Most of the data have been released openly.

Dyslexia and Multilingualism

What happens when dyslexia meets multilingualism? Investigating this interaction is one of the most exciting and vital frontiers in literacy research. My work explores whether being bilingual confers specific advantages or distinct challenges for a dyslexic reader, and how reading difficulties present differently depending on the languages and scripts involved. Crucially, this research directly confronts a persistent and harmful myth: the idea that children with learning difficulties shouldn't be exposed to or taught a second language. By uncovering how multilingual brains actually process reading, we can replace outdated misconceptions with evidence-based support, ensuring that every learner can fully thrive in our multilingual world.

Language aptitude and multilingualism

My research disentangles multilingualism as a lived experience from language aptitude as a core predisposition. By mapping both behavioural signatures and neural correlates, we can trace how the brain adapts to experience versus how it is naturally wired for language. Interestingly, our findings show that neural efficiency in key language areas tracks far more closely with innate aptitude than with polyglotism alone. By looking at both brain and behaviour, we get a much clearer picture of how nature and nurture interact to shape our capacity for language. 

Screen exposure and use in the first 6 years of life

In an age of digital anxiety, what does neuroscience actually tell us about young children and screens?

My work features the first systematic review to examine the neurobiological impacts of screen exposure in early childhood (ages 0–6). This work stems from a collaboration with the multisite project PRIN Di.Co.Each. 

My research moves beyond simple screen-time limits to show that quality and interaction matter just as much as quantity. Brain development is shaped not just by the screen itself, but by what children are watching, how they interact with it, and whether caregivers are co-viewing and guiding the experience. By bridging neuroscience with pedagogy and factoring in crucial socio-environmental context, such as socioeconomic status (SES) and parental education, my goal is to provide evidence-based frameworks for early digital education.