Nuria Sebastian Galles

Nuria Sebastian Galles is a Full Professor at the Department of Information and Communications Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, where she leads the Speech Acquisition and Perception (SAP) Research Group. She has held visiting positions at the University of Chicago, University College London, and the University of Pennsylvania. Her work bridges cognitive neuroscience, bilingualism, and infant cognition, focusing on brain imaging and language processing.

• PhD in Experimental Psychology, University of Barcelona (1986)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (1987)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, LSCP-CNRS, Paris (1987)

Her research explores how bilingualism shapes brain structure and function, with studies on speech perception, language learning, and social hierarchy recognition. Recent article trends highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining ERP, MRI, and behavioral paradigms in infants and adults.

Scientific awards and honors include the ERC Advanced Grant (2013-2018), Narcis Monturiol Medal (2012), and two ICREA Academia Prizes (2009, 2014). She served as Vice-President of the European Research Council (ERC) and coordinated the BRAINGLOT research consortium (2008-2013), investigating bilingualism and cognitive neuroscience.

Her editorial roles include Associate Editorship of Developmental Science (2005-2014) and Language Learning and Development (since 2013), alongside editorial board memberships in journals like Bilingualism and Trends in Neuroscience and Education.