Janet F. Werker

Dr. Janet F. Werker is a University Killam Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Department of Psychology. She directs the Infant Studies Centre and co-founded the UBC Language Sciences initiative.

Her research focuses on perceptual foundations of language acquisition, studying speech perception mechanisms in monolingual and bilingual infants, critical periods of development, and neural correlates using behavioral, ERP, and NIRS methods. Recent work extends to literacy development in multicultural contexts through an SSHRC Partnership Grant.

• Key themes in 15 most recent articles: Infant brain development, statistical learning, speech perception, bilingualism, musical sophistication, microbiome-brain links, sensorimotor integration, voice recognition, and cross-linguistic generalization.
• Studies employ EEG, NIRS, and behavioral paradigms to explore early language, social understanding, and neurodevelopmental pathways.

Scientific accolades include election to the National Academy of Sciences (2020), Benjamin Franklin Institute Medal (2024), and multiple fellowships (AAAS, Royal Society of Canada). Her work is funded by NSERC, SSHRC, NIH, and CIFAR.

Dr. Werker supervises graduate students and leads international collaborations examining language acquisition, bilingualism, and developmental disabilities. She is actively involved in pandemic-era research adaptations, emphasizing online methodologies.