The Language Neuroscience Podcast

SNL 2026 teaser with Valentina Borghesani and Ryan Law 13.05.2026 37min

In this episode, I talk with Valentina Borghesani and Ryan Law from the SNL Program Committee about their exciting plans for the 2026 conference in Geneva, Switzerland. SNL 2026

Bilingualism, mind, and brain, with Ellen Bialystok 05.03.2026 1j 7min

In this epidode, I talk with Ellen Bialystok, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at York University, about her case for the “bilingual advantage”, or to be more precise, the case that growing up in a bilingual environment reconfigures mind and brain for adaptability, effiency, and resiliance. Bialystok E, Craik FIM, Klein R, Viswanathan M. Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evidence from the Simon task. Psychol Aging 2004; 19: 290-303. [doi] Bialystok E, Craik FIM, Freedm...

‘Wired for words: the neural architecture of language’ with Greg Hickok 25.11.2025 1j 21min

In this epidode, I talk with Greg Hickok, Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Sciences & Language Science at the University of California, Irvine, about his new book ‘Wired for words: the neural architecture of language’. Hickok G. Wired for words: The neural architecture of language. 2025; MIT Press. Key Hickok papers: Hickok G, Poeppel D. The cortical organization of speech processing. Nat Rev Neurosci 2007; 8: 393-402. [doi] Hickok G. Computational neuroanatomy of speech pro...

‘Role for left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated, but not externally cued, language production’ with Deborah Levy 15.09.2025 1j 13min

In this epidode, I talk with Deborah Levy, Lecturer at Princeton University, about her paper ‘Role for left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated, but not externally cued, language production’, which just came out in Neurobiology of Language. Levy D, Greicius Q, Wang C, Ko E, Xu D, Andrews J, Chang EF. Role for left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated, but not externally cued, language production. Neurobiol Lang 2025; 6:nol_a_00166. [doi] Levy website

‘Can the mismatch negativity really be elicited by abstract linguistic contrasts?’ with Steve Politzer-Ahles and Bernard Jap 02.05.2025 1j 8min

In this episode, I talk with Steve Politzer-Ahles and Bernard Jap about their paper ‘Can the mismatch negativity really be elicited by abstract linguistic contrasts?’, which was recently published as a Registered Report in Neurobiology of Language. Politzer-Ahles S, Jap BAJ. Can the mismatch negativity really be elicited by abstract linguistic contrasts? Neurobiol Lang 2024; 5: 818–843. [doi] Politzer-Ahles website Jap website

What's going on with the NIH? with Julius Fridriksson 02.04.2025 45min

In the episode, I talk with Julius Fridriksson, Professor of Communication Sciences and Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina, about what's going on with the NIH since the recent change of administration.

‘A mountain of small things’ with Masud Husain 22.10.2024 38min

In this episode, I talk with Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, about his recent editorial ‘A mountain of small things’. Husain website Husain M. A mountain of small things. Brain 2024; 147: 739. [doi]

Developmental dyslexia and neuroplasticity in aphasia with Maaike Vandermosten 16.09.2024 1j 3min

In this episode, I talk with Maaike Vandermosten, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at KU Leuven, about the neural basis of developmental dyslexia, and neuroplasticity in recovery from aphasia. Vandermosten website Vanderauwera J, Wouters J, Vandermosten M, Ghesquière P. Early dynamics of white matter deficits in children developing dyslexia. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 27: 69-77. [doi] Beelen C, Vanderauwera J, Wouters J, Vandermosten M, Ghesquière P. Atypical gray matter in...

Developmental language disorder and its neural basis with Dorothy Bishop 04.04.2024 1j 23min

In this episode, I talk with Dorothy Bishop, Emeritus Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology at the University of Oxford, about her work on developmental langauge disorder and its neural basis. Bishop website Bishop DVM. Comprehension in developmental language disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1979;21:225-38. [doi] Bishop DVM, Snowling MJ, Thompson PA, Greenhalgh T, CATALISE consortium. CATALISE: A multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study: Identifying language impairments...

‘Determinants of multilevel discourse outcomes in anomia treatment for aphasia’ with Rob Cavanaugh 14.10.2023 1j 15min

In this episode, I talk with Rob Cavanaugh, Research Data Analyst at the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Center at Northeastern University, about his dissertation ‘Determinants of multilevel discourse outcomes in anomia treatment for aphasia’. Cavanaugh website Cavanaugh, R. Determinants of multilevel discourse outcomes in anomia treatment for aphasia. Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. [dissertation]

Deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, and the brain, with Jean-Rémi King 10.07.2023 1j 35min

In the episode, I talk with Jean-Rémi King, Research scientist and team leader at Meta AI, and Associate Researcher at CNRS, École Normale Supérieure, about three recent papers from his lab on deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, and the brain. King website Millet J, Caucheteux C, Orhan P, Boubenec Y, Gramfort A, Dunbar E, Pallier C, King J-R. Toward a realistic model of speech processing in the brain with self-supervised learning. In Advances in Neural Information Processin...

‘Neural dynamics of phoneme sequences reveal position-invariant code for content and order’ with Laura Gwilliams 30.05.2023 1j 21min

In this episode, I talk with Laura Gwilliams, soon-to-be Assistant Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Data Science at Stanford University, about her recent paper ‘Neural dynamics of phoneme sequences reveal position-invariant code for content and order’. Gwilliams lab website Gwilliams L, King JR, Marantz A, Poeppel D. Neural dynamics of phoneme sequences reveal position-invariant code for content and order. Nat Commun 2022; 13: 6606. [doi]

Encoding and decoding semantic representations with Alexander Huth 04.05.2023 1j 49min

In this episode, I talk with Alexander Huth, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Computer Science at the University of Texas, Austin, about his work using functional imaging and advanced computational methods to model how the brain processes language and represents meaning. Huth lab website Huth AG, Nishimoto S, Vu AT, Gallant JL. A continuous semantic space describes the representation of thousands of object and action categories across the human brain. Neuron 2012; 76: 1210-24. [doi] ...

‘Disentangling Semantic Composition and Semantic Association in the Left Temporal Lobe’ with Liina Pylkkänen 17.11.2022 1j 4min

In this episode, I talk with Liina Pylkkänen, Professor of Linguistics and Psychology at NYU, about her research program, and in particular her recent paper ‘Disentangling semantic composition and semantic association in the left temporal lobe’. Pylkkänen lab website Li J, Pylkkänen L. Disentangling semantic composition and semantic association in the left temporal lobe. J Neurosci 2021; 41: 6526-38. [doi]

‘Speech computations of the human superior temporal gyrus’ with Eddie Chang 21.09.2022 1j 22min

In this episode, I talk with Eddie Chang, Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, about his recent paper ‘Speech computations of the human superior temporal gyrus’. Chang lab website Bhaya-Grossman I, Chang EF. Speech computations of the human superior temporal gyrus. Annu Rev Psychol 2022; 73: 79-102. [doi | pdf] Chang EF, Rieger JW, Johnson K, Berger MS, Barbaro NM, Knight RT. Categorical speech representation in human superior temporal gyrus. Nat N...

Awake craniotomy for a brain tumor surrounded by language areas, with Olivia Leow 23.08.2022 57min

In this episode, I talk with Olivia Leow, who experienced an awake craniotomy for resection of a brain tumor surrounded by language areas in her left posterior temporal lobe. Vanderbilt Brain Cancer Patient Assistance Fund, established by Olivia Leow Diachek E, Morgan VL, Wilson SM. Adaptive language mapping paradigms for presurgical language mapping. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2022; in press. [pdf] Wilson SM, Yen M, Eriksson DK. An adaptive semantic matching paradigm for reliable and valid langua...

Generative linguistics and the neural basis of language, with Noam Chomsky 20.07.2022 1j 2min

In this episode, I talk with Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor and Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at MIT and Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona. After starting with a discussion of the early development of Chomsky’s key ideas, our conversation is centered on the relationship between generative linguistics and the neuroscience of language. Grodzinsky Y, Finkel L. The neurology of empty categories: Aphasics’ failure to detect ungrammaticality. J Cogn Neurosci 1998...

Cortical myeloarchitecture, tonotopy, and spectrally directed attention, with Fred Dick 04.05.2022 1j 4min

In this episode, I talk with Fred Dick, Professor of Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, about his work, with a focus on his recent paper ‘Extensive tonotopic mapping across auditory cortex is recapitulated by spectrally directed attention and systematically related to cortical myeloarchitecture’. Dick F, Bates E, Wulfeck B, Utman JA, Dronkers N, Gernsbacher MA. Language deficits, localization, and grammar: evidence fo...

Anatomy and neuropathology of progressive speech and language disorders, with Keith Josephs 23.02.2022 1j 1min

In this episode, I talk with Keith Josephs, Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, about his work on the anatomy and neuropathology of progressive speech and language disorders. Josephs KA, Duffy JR, Strand EA, Whitwell JL, Layton KF, Parisi JE, et al. Clinicopathological and imaging correlates of progressive aphasia and apraxia of speech. Brain 2006; 129: 1385-98. [doi] Josephs KA, Hodges JR, Snowden JS, Mackenzie IR, Neumann M, Mann DM, et al. Neuropathological b...

Imaging the language network, with Cathy Price 27.12.2021 1j 7min

In this episode, I talk with Cathy Price, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London, about her pioneering work on functional neuroimaging of the language network, whether there are really such things as “language regions”, degeneracy, predicting and explaining language outcomes after stroke, and more. Price C, Wise R, Ramsay S, Friston K, Howard D, Patterson K, Frackowiak R. Regional response differences within ...