Koji Miwa

Dr. Koji Miwa is an Associate Professor at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Humanities, specializing in psycholinguistics with a focus on experimental approaches to understanding how language is processed in the mind. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Alberta, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Tübingen before joining Nagoya University in 2017.

• Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Alberta (2007-2013)
• M.A. in Linguistics, University of Alberta (2004-2007)
• B.A., Mount Royal College (2002-2004)

Dr. Miwa's research primarily investigates how complex words are represented and processed in the mind, with special attention to bilingual reading processes where two languages coexist in a single mind. His work employs sophisticated methodologies including eye-tracking technology to measure real-time cognitive processing during language tasks. He examines morphological decomposition, cross-linguistic influences, and the cognitive mechanisms underlying efficient language processing, with particular emphasis on Japanese-English bilingualism and morphographic scripts. His research consistently explores how humans process complex linguistic information effortlessly and efficiently, often at subconscious levels.

Dr. Miwa's recent publications reveal an expanding research program that now includes metaphor comprehension, analogical reasoning, and event role conceptualization across languages. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical cognitive science, often employing advanced statistical modeling techniques like generalized additive mixed models to analyze complex language behavior data. The ENglish Reading Online (ENRO) Project represents a significant contribution to large-scale data collection in second language reading research.

• Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship (2010)
• Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Researcher's Award (2006)

As an educator, Dr. Miwa emphasizes balanced development across multiple dimensions of life and learning. His supervision style focuses on cultivating mindfulness, service, and knowledge in students. He serves on editorial boards for PeerJ, Frontiers in Psychology, and Studies in Language Sciences, contributing significantly to scholarly review processes. His research lab at Nagoya University maintains active international collaborations, particularly with researchers in Canada, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Dr. Miwa also maintains a thoughtful personal mission statement that emphasizes living a balanced life while considering fundamental questions about existence.