Simone Falk

Simone Falk is a Full Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Translation at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Montreal. She holds the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies on Rhythm and Language Acquisition and is a member of BRAMS (International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research) and the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM).

Her research focuses on the interface between language and music, with particular emphasis on rhythmic phenomena in communication, language acquisition, and speech pathology. Drawing from experimental linguistics, neuroscience (including EEG), cognitive science, and movement sciences, her work examines how rhythmic and temporal predictions influence language processing. Key research areas include characterizing developmental speech and language deficits, understanding verbal and motor coordination between speakers, and developing music-based interventions for speech pathology.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying speech rhythm, with particular attention to stuttering, infant language development, and the therapeutic potential of musical training. Her work spans multiple disciplines, connecting linguistics, neuroscience, and clinical applications, with a growing emphasis on translational research that bridges basic science with clinical practice in speech-language pathology.

Scientific Awards:

• Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies on Rhythm and Language Acquisition

Professor Falk actively supervises graduate students, with recent master's theses focusing on topics such as adjective agreement processing in adolescents, rhythmic coordination during alternating reading tasks, and music-speech transfer effects. Her extensive grant portfolio includes multiple major projects funded by Canadian and Quebec research agencies (CRSNG, CRSH, FRQSC, FRQNT), with a current focus on rhythm's role in speech perception and production (2021-2027), group singing for communication disorders (2023-2025), and stuttering choir interventions (2020-2024).

She leads research within the BRAMS laboratory and CRBLM, collaborating with speech-language pathologists and clinicians to develop novel intervention approaches for communication disorders based on musical training, singing, and rhythmic interaction. Her work has significant implications for understanding the fundamental connections between rhythm, language, and movement in both typical development and clinical populations.