معرفی
Yang Zhang is a Full Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He also holds affiliation with the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. With over 233 publications and 59,364 reads on ResearchGate, Dr. Zhang has established himself as a leading researcher in auditory neuroscience and speech perception.
Dr. Zhang's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington (2002) and an MA in Linguistics (psycholinguistics) from the University of Iowa (1997). His research focuses on brain plasticity across the lifespan, particularly examining neural signature markers for normal and pathological development of speech and language in socio-affective and cultural contexts. He employs an integrative approach combining top-down brain imaging techniques (high-density EEG, MEG, MRI, fMRI) with bottom-up construction through neural coding and computational modeling.
Dr. Zhang's research has particularly emphasized speech perception in various populations including children with autism spectrum disorders, cochlear implant users, and second language learners. His lab has conducted extensive work on lexical tone perception, emotional prosody processing, and the neural mechanisms underlying language acquisition. Recent work has explored the application of artificial intelligence in communication sciences and disorders.
Dr. Zhang serves as Section Chief Editor for Brain Sciences (MDPI) and Associate Editor for Developmental Science (Wiley), and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. His research has been recognized with awards including the Developmental Science Early Career Researcher Prize (2010) and the 2023 Brain Imaging Grant Award from the College of Liberal Arts.
- Developmental Science Early Career Researcher Prize (2010)
- 2023 Brain Imaging Grant Award from the College of Liberal Arts
Dr. Zhang leads the Zhang Lab, which maintains an active research program with numerous ongoing projects examining brain plasticity in speech and language processing across different populations. The lab employs advanced neuroimaging techniques including EEG, MEG, and fMRI to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying speech perception, language acquisition, and emotional processing in both typical and atypical development.
