Pica Pierre

Pierre Pica is a Visiting Professor at the Brain Institute (Instituto do Cérebro) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) and an Associate Researcher at the Department of Linguistics of Leiden University (Netherlands). His career includes roles as a Research Fellow at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, France) and Visiting Professorships at institutions like MIT (USA) and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He holds a Doctorat 3ième cycle (1988) and MA (1974) in linguistics from Paris universities, with postdoctoral training at MIT.

His research focuses on linguistic theory (syntax, binding theory, parametric variation), numerical cognition, and cross-cultural studies of indigenous populations like the Mundurucu of Brazil. Notable contributions include demonstrating universal geometric intuitions and non-verbal numerical systems through fieldwork with the Mundurucu, challenging linguistic relativism. He has conducted over 30 months of fieldwork in the Amazon region.

Awarded prizes include the 2012 La Recherche Magazine Prize in Neuroscience and the 2004 Discovery Prize (Ministry of Research). He has edited major linguistic series including the Language Faculty and Beyond (John Benjamins) and founded the Linguistic Variation Yearbook. His work bridges linguistics, cognitive science, and anthropology, emphasizing core knowledge systems' interaction with language.