I received my B.A. in Philosophy and Russian Language, (Bryn Mawr College, 1993), my M.A. in Linguistics (University of Oregon, 1997), and my Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology, with a focus on the neural basis of language (University of Oregon, 2004). My doctoral research used behavioral and brain (ERP and fMRI) measures to examine neural correlates of emotion and attention in semantic priming. Results provide strong evidence for automatic (or "bottom-up") effects of motivation and emotion in semantic priming. In addition, according to these results, positive and negative mood exert qualitatively different effects on the structure of semantic processing, consistent with theories that emphasize the integral role of emotional arousal (limbic brain systems) in language and cognitive proccessing (e.g., Tucker and Williamson, 1984).

My research at the LRDC (with Dr. Charles Perfetti) is funded by a postdoctoral award from the APA and IES (Institute of Educational Sciences). The goal of this work is to develop integrated brain and behavioral measures of lexical (word) knowledge. Because lexical representations are complex, our focus is not simply on all-or-none estimates of vocabulary size, but also on graded, incomplete, and variable knowledge that readers possess at multiple levels of linguistic representation and at different stages of reading proficiency (the Lexical Quality Hypothesis).

To meet our objectives, we will apply advanced methods for brain imaging, in combination with behavioral and psychometric assessments. This approach can reveal how brain systems in reading are related to individual differences across a range of linguistic, cognitive, and affective measures. The integrated methodology is true to our conviction that reading skill depends on many factors, precisely because this skill recruits multiple brain networks involved in domain-general skills and traits, such as motivation and self-monitoring, as well as skills that are specific to reading proficiency. According to this idea, a successful model will address the role of both language-specific and "extralinguistic" (cognitive and motivational) factors in reading development, and will make direct links between behavioral and brain markers for each of these variables. After characterizing the effects of different word learning interventions for adult subjects (Phase I), we will extend our research to include studies of word learning in children, ages 9-12 (Phase II). Phase II will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Isabel Beck.

My other research interests include:

• The interface between grammar (morphology and syntax) and semantics
• The interaction of language-specific processes with domain-general knowledge and skills
• Integration of ERP and fMRI data
• Advanced methods for ERP analysis, such as PCA, ICA, and parametric (item) analysis