Vicky Lai

Dr. Vicky Lai is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona, holding dual appointments in the Cognition & Neural Systems program and the Cognitive Science Program. As a Courtesy Faculty member in the Department of Linguistics and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Laboratory, she leads interdisciplinary research on language processing and its neural underpinnings. Her primary research interests include figurative language comprehension (metaphors, irony), emotion-language interactions, and the relationship between linguistic structures and cognitive processes.

Her work explores how metaphor shapes abstract concept learning, the role of emotion in language processing across age groups, and cross-linguistic influences in bilingual speakers. She teaches courses such as 'Neural Basis of Language' and 'Language and Thought,' integrating cognitive neuroscience methodologies with linguistic theory.

Dr. Lai’s research employs EEG/ERP techniques to study real-time neural dynamics during language processing. Her recent studies investigate how emotional context modulates metaphor interpretation, the cognitive mechanisms behind irony comprehension, and the neurobiological basis of aging-related changes in affective language processing. She has published extensively in cognitive neuroscience and psycholinguistics journals, with a focus on advancing understanding of embodied cognition and linguistic relativity.