Nicolina Pastena is an academic affiliated with the Department of Classical, Linguistic and Educational Studies at the University of Salerno. Her work focuses on special education, disability studies, educational neuroscience, and policy-making in education. She has collaborated with multiple departments, including Pharmaceutical Sciences, to explore interdisciplinary topics like cortisol levels in learning environments and embodied cognition. Her research interests emphasize the intersection of neurobiological factors and educational outcomes, with a particular focus on learning disorders, teacher training for disability inclusion, and pedagogical innovation. She has published extensively on topics such as autopoiesis theory in education, capability approaches for future generations, and the role of corporeality in cognitive development. Recent work includes studies on pre-service teachers' attitudes toward disability, the neurobiological underpinnings of learning disabilities, and the integration of mythopoiesis and tradition in citizenship education. Her 2023 monograph, 'Intellectual Disability and Rett Syndrome: From Biogenesis to the Life Project,' highlights her interdisciplinary approach to disability research. Her articles often bridge theoretical frameworks like embodied cognition with practical educational strategies, emphasizing the need for inclusive pedagogies grounded in neuroscience and systemic theories.
Dr. Kumiko Fukumura is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Stirling, UK. Her research focuses on the cognitive mechanisms underlying language production and comprehension, particularly in how speakers choose referring expressions and listeners interpret ambiguous linguistic structures. She holds a primary interest in the interplay between syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic factors in communication. Dr. Fukumura's work examines questions such as how speakers navigate referential choices considering listener knowledge, sentence structure preferences, and cross-linguistic differences. Her research employs experimental methods including eye-tracking, computational modeling, and cross-linguistic comparisons with languages like Hindi, Mandarin, French, and Japanese. Her publications (2009–2025) consistently explore themes of referential overspecification, ambiguity avoidance strategies, syntactic vs. non-syntactic structure effects, and developmental aspects of sentence processing. Over 15 recent articles demonstrate her expertise in psycholinguistics and cognitive science, with a focus on production-comprehension asymmetries and cross-linguistic variation in communication strategies. Dr. Fukumura collaborates with the Cognition in Complex Environments and Behavioural Science research groups at the University of Stirling. Her work bridges experimental, computational, and theoretical approaches to understanding human communication systems.
Dr Raquel Garrido Alhama is an Assistant Professor of Artificial Intelligence for text and human interaction at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) , University of Amsterdam. She also co-directs the /k/omputation and Language Lab and previously served as Assistant Professor at the Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence department of Tilburg University. She earned her PhD from the ILLC under the supervision of Jelle Zuidema, Remko Scha and Carel Ten Cate, with a dissertation entitled Computational Modelling of Artificial Language Learning . Prior post-doctoral positions include the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language. Research Interests: Computational modelling of language learning and evolution Language acquisition, word learning and sentence processing Neural-symbolic integration and connectionist architectures Visual and auditory word recognition, syntactic parsing and part-of-speech tagging In recent years her work has converged on validating developmental milestones—such as the onset of productive determiner–noun combinations—using large-scale child corpora and neural models. She also investigates how multi-agent referential games can lead to emergent compositional languages, moving from image to richer graph representations. Scientific Awards: Best Article Award (2019) from Psychonomic Bulletin & Review for the review on computational models of rule learning Best Poster Award (2015) at the International Conference on Cognitive Modeling Teaching & Supervision: Dr Alhama has designed and lectured courses on advanced programming for cognitive science, computational linguistics, linear algebra and language acquisition at Tilburg University, University of Amsterdam, Radboud University and the University of the Basque Country. She currently supervises eleven MSc and BSc students in AI, Logic and Cognitive Science. Labs & Teams: She is the founding co-director of the /k/omputation and Language Lab together with Phong Le, where they use Language Emergence frameworks to explore the cognitive prerequisites for displacement and compositionality in human language.
Dr. Caroline Catmur is a Reader in Cognitive Psychology at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, where she joined in August 2015. Her research focuses on the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying social cognitive abilities including imitation, empathy, and theory of mind. She leads the Experimental and Social Psychology Research Group (EASY) within the Department of Psychology. Dr. Catmur earned her PhD in Psychology from University College London and completed her undergraduate studies with a BA in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford. Prior to her current position, she served as a Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Surrey. She is also recognized as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy for her contributions to teaching and learning. Her research program investigates social cognition through multiple lenses, with particular emphasis on how social experience shapes the brain's mirror neuron system, how brain stimulation can illuminate social interaction mechanisms, and how empathic abilities develop. Her work bridges cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and clinical applications, particularly in understanding autism spectrum disorders and alexithymia. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between language development and emotional processing, face perception mechanisms, and the cognitive foundations of theory of mind. Dr. Catmur's recent publications reveal a strong focus on mental state attribution, with increasing attention to computational approaches to theory of mind and the intersection of artificial intelligence with human social cognition. Her work consistently examines individual differences in social cognitive abilities, particularly regarding autism spectrum conditions and alexithymia, while maintaining a strong foundation in experimental cognitive psychology methods. Philip Leverhulme Prize in Psychology from the Leverhulme Trust (2015) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Dr. Catmur has secured significant research funding from major organizations including the Royal Society, Economic and Social Research Council, Experimental Psychology Society, John Templeton Foundation, and Wellcome Trust. She has led two major research projects: 'The Role of Cultural Evolution in Human Understanding' (2022-2024, John Templeton Foundation) and 'Mirroring intentions? Establishing the contribution of mirror neurons to action understanding' (2016-2019, Leverhulme Trust). Her work has been widely disseminated through numerous peer-reviewed publications and has gained attention in both academic and public spheres. Dr. Catmur is actively involved with the IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab, a world-leading multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR-based research, assessment, and treatments to improve mental health and enhance well-being. She also contributes to the Research Centre for Technology and the Body, exploring how embodied technology shapes human experience from basic tools to modern interfaces.
Ljudmila Geist serves as a Research Associate and DFG Project Manager at the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Linguistics within the Department of Linguistics and German Studies (ILG). Holding the academic rank of Privatdozent (equivalent to Associate Professor), she leads two major DFG-funded research projects while teaching linguistics and Slavic studies courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. Her institutional affiliation spans formal instruction in Linguistics, German Studies, and Slavic Studies programs including teacher training tracks for German and Russian. Her research expertise centers on the syntax-semantics interface with three core pillars: Semantics/Pragmatics : Nominal reference systems, information structure dynamics, speaker-hearer knowledge interaction in discourse, and copula clause semantics Morphosyntax : Argument linking mechanisms, case assignment for objects/predicatives, and co-argument binding phenomena Language Comparison/Typology : Cross-linguistic analysis of definiteness/indefiniteness in article-less languages, grammatical category comparisons between Russian and German Her work consistently bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical Slavic language data. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals strong methodological continuity in formal linguistic approaches applied to Slavic languages, particularly Russian-German comparisons. Key thematic clusters include noun phrase semantics (mass/count distinctions, definiteness marking), copula constructions, and question-response systems. Her research increasingly incorporates experimental methodologies while maintaining rigorous formal analysis frameworks, demonstrating evolution from theoretical syntax toward integrated psycholinguistic approaches. Geist actively contributes to academic infrastructure through editorial roles including co-editing Advances in Formal Slavic Linguistics 2018 (Language Science Press, 2021) and multiple volumes of Investigations into Formal Slavic Linguistics . She has organized workshops such as Divide and Count at the 2023 DGfS conference in Cologne, demonstrating leadership in advancing research on morphosyntactic-semantic interfaces. Her teaching portfolio demonstrates deep integration of research and pedagogy across morphology, syntax, and Slavic linguistics courses. Recent offerings include Morphology (SS 2024), Syntax, Semantics and Typology of Nouns (WS 2023/24), and specialized seminars on nominal categories and German-Russian comparative linguistics. She completed Baden-Württemberg's 200-hour university teaching certification in 2008, reflecting commitment to pedagogical excellence.
Frank Mollica is a Lecturer in Computational Cognitive Science at the Complex Human Data Hub , School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne. He is also an Honorary Fellow at the Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, and an associate member of the Center for Language Evolution at the University of Edinburgh. University: University of Melbourne , University of Edinburgh School: School of Psychological Sciences , School of Informatics Academic Rank: Lecturer Research Interests Frank’s research explores how humans construct conceptual systems supporting cognition and language, focusing on computational modeling and experimental methods. He investigates: Development of rich conceptual systems in children and adults Cognitive efficiency, diversity, and transmission Context-building in language processing Information-theoretic models of communication Publication Trends His recent work spans computational models of: Memory retrieval costs in semi-compositional systems Color perception and referential overinformativeness Lexicalization frequency across languages Context-sensitive word frequency effects Legal language accessibility Kinship term acquisition Labs & Affiliations Frank is affiliated with the Complex Human Data Hub (Melbourne), Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation (Edinburgh), and the Center for Language Evolution (Edinburgh).
Lydia-Mai Ho-Dac is a Lecturer in Language Sciences at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, affiliated with the Cognition, Languages, Ergonomics (CLLE) laboratory and the Language & Cognitive Processes team. She teaches corpus linguistics and Natural Language Processing , focusing on quantitative corpus methods and digital tools for linguistic research. Teaching: Corpus linguistics, NLP, data collection methodologies Research Themes: Discourse organization, textual cohesion, online discussion forums (health/Wikipedia), text typologies Her research combines corpus analysis with computational linguistics , particularly examining: Discourse structuring mechanisms Referential continuity in student writing Epistemic regimes in collaborative platforms like Wikipedia Textual cohesion markers in educational contexts Quantitative methods for analyzing web 2.0 corpora Annotation frameworks for multi-scale discourse Recent publications include studies on Wikipedia talk pages and the E-CALM student writing corpus. She contributes to projects like ANNODIS and WikiDisc, focusing on annotated resources for discourse analysis. As a supervisor, she advises PhD and Master's students in projects involving: Reference chain modeling Discourse annotation tools Linguistic approaches to health forums Computational analysis of under-specified names
Thierry Robin is a Professor of Anglophone Studies at the University of Orléans' Faculty of Arts, Languages and Humanities, and a full member of the RÉMÉLICE Laboratory (EA 4907). He holds research associate positions at the University of Western Brittany's HCTI and CRBC centers and serves as Review Editor for Etudes Irlandaises journal. His research spans Irish cultural studies, detective fiction, postmodern/postcolonial theory, discourse analysis, and intermediality. Key themes include identity ideologies, reality-science intersections, and narrative adaptations. He supervises theses on Irish literature/cinema, crime fiction, and anglophone narratives exploring dystopias, satire, and national histories. Recent publications focus on authors like John Banville, Flann O'Brien, and Stuart Neville, analyzing trauma, identity duality, and cultural critique through literary and theoretical frameworks. Robin is also a translator, notably contributing to the European Translating Banville project. No awards or grants are detailed in available sources.
Andrei Moldovan is a Professor at the University of Salamanca, Spain, where he works in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Aesthetics under the Faculty of Philosophy. He is affiliated with the University Institute for Studies of Science and Technology and the Research Group on Studies on Science and Technology, focusing on Logic and Philosophy of Science. His academic background includes a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Barcelona (2015) with the thesis 'The Literal Meaning of Definite Descriptions,' supervised by Dr. Manuel García-Carpintero and Dr. Max Kölbel, and a Master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Windsor, Canada (2007). Moldovan's research centers on philosophy of language, particularly the semantics and pragmatics of definite descriptions, presuppositions, and argumentation theory. His work bridges linguistic analysis with philosophical inquiry, examining how language functions in communication, persuasion, and logical reasoning. He investigates issues like polysemy, technical language as evidence of expertise, and the boundaries between semantic entailment and pragmatic implicature. His publication record reveals consistent contributions to the field since 2009, with increasing focus on presuppositions and argumentative strategies in recent years. His work demonstrates engagement with both historical philosophical debates and contemporary linguistic theory, particularly in the analysis of definite descriptions and their referential properties. Moldovan has established connections with researchers across multiple institutions, including collaborations with scholars from New Bulgarian University, University of Illinois, Central European University, and University of California, Los Angeles, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work at the intersection of linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science.
