معرفی
Megan Zirnstein is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science at Pomona College, part of The Claremont Colleges. She has been with the institution since 2019, contributing to interdisciplinary research and teaching in cognitive science and bilingualism.
Her educational background includes a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of California, Davis, and a B.A. from the University of Memphis.
Megan Zirnstein’s research lies at the intersection of cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, and psycholinguistics. Her work investigates how bilingualism influences cognitive control, reading comprehension, and neurobiological health across the lifespan. She employs multimodal methods including eye-tracking, EEG, ECG, and pupillometry to study language processing, cognitive ability, and emotional regulation in bilingual individuals. A major focus is on how parallel language activation affects comprehension and how cognitive and linguistic factors shape humor appreciation.
The recent publications reflect a strong trajectory in bilingual cognition, with emphasis on lexical access, prediction mechanisms, cognitive control, and cross-language activation. The research spans populations from young adults to older adults and includes both hearing and deaf bilinguals, demonstrating methodological rigor and theoretical depth.
Scientific Awards and Honors:
- Kavli Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience Fellow (2017)
- Kavli Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience Fellow (2018)
- National Science Foundation Grant (PI), $198,088, 2014–2018
- NSF PIRE Postdoctoral Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University, 2012–2014
Megan Zirnstein has served as Principal Investigator on competitive grants, indicating active research funding and leadership. She advises on research within her lab and contributes to training students in cognitive neuroscience methods. She teaches core courses such as Introduction to Cognitive Science, Bilingual Cognition, and Cognitive Neuroscience with Lab, integrating research and pedagogy.
Her work is embedded in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment, often co-authored with leading scholars such as Judith F. Kroll. While no formal lab name is mentioned, her research group likely engages in behavioral and neurocognitive studies of language and cognition.
