Carita Paradis is a Professor Emerita at Lund University's Centre for Languages and Literature, specializing in English Linguistics. She holds a PhD from Lund University (1997) and has held leadership roles including Chair of the Swedish Research Council's Linguistics panel (2010–2015). She coordinates the Language, Cognition and Discourse@Lund (LCD@L) research group, focusing on discourse meaning, language acquisition, and sociocultural variation. Her research spans cognitive linguistics, discourse analysis, semantics, and sensory language. She has authored/co-authored over 100 refereed publications, 5 books, and edited 10 journal volumes. Awards include membership in Academia Europaea (2016) and leadership roles in Scandinavian linguistic associations. She has supervised 14 PhD students and 8 postdocs, taught at all academic levels, and participated in numerous national/international research projects. Her editorial roles include serving on Cognitive Semantics, Languages, and Human Cognitive Processing series.
Siew, Shu Qin Cynthia is an Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, specializing in psycholinguistics and cognitive science. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Kansas University (KU) and a B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.) from NUS. Her research focuses on applying network analysis to study cognitive structures like the mental lexicon and semantic memory. Education: Ph.D. in Psychology, KU M.A. in Psychology, KU B.Soc.Sci. (Hons.) in Linguistics, NUS Her work integrates cognitive psychology experiments, computational modeling, and linguistic corpora to explore two core themes: (1) How lexicon structure influences processing (e.g., phonological/orthographic similarity affecting word recognition), and (2) How lexicon structure evolves over time (e.g., language acquisition across monolinguals and bilinguals). Recent publications highlight her innovative use of network science to model phonological and semantic networks and software tools like spreadr for simulating spreading activation. This work bridges computational methods with empirical studies on lexical retrieval and memory organization.
Professor Yun-Nung Chen works at the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering , National Taiwan University , focusing on Natural Language Processing and Dialogue Systems . With a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University , their research bridges Machine Learning and Language Understanding in conversational AI. Education Ph.D. in Language Technologies, Carnegie Mellon University (2015) M.S. in Computer Science, National Taiwan University (2011) B.S. in Computer Science, National Taiwan University (2009) Research Trends Recent work emphasizes Retrieval-Augmented Generation , Knowledge Editing in LLMs , and Temporal Modeling for dialogue systems. Key themes include cross-modal understanding , semantics-driven dialogue , and robust language modeling across domains. Scientific Recognition Best Student Paper, IEEE ASRU 2013 Best Student Paper, IEEE SLT 2010 Distinguished Master Thesis, ACLCLP 2011 Best Paper Finalist, ISCA INTERSPEECH 2012 Current projects involve StreamBench for continuous agent improvement and Taiwan LLM for culturally aligned language models.
David Palmer is an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He is affiliated with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). His research focuses on speech recognition, natural language processing, and multilingual systems, with particular emphasis on information extraction from audio and speech data. His work bridges computational linguistics and machine learning, addressing challenges in automated systems for audio comprehension and cross-language processing. Key research interests include robust information extraction from speech transcriptions, error detection in speech recognition, and multilingual processing for operational users. He has contributed to advancements in speaker identification, text preprocessing techniques, and domain adaptation in speech processing systems. His publications span over two decades, reflecting a consistent focus on improving automated systems for handling audio and text data in dynamic environments. While no specific awards or grants are listed, his extensive publication record highlights sustained contributions to the fields of speech technology and computational linguistics. His work at LANL likely involves collaborative research in applied computational sciences, though specific lab affiliations or teams are not explicitly mentioned.
Liadh Kelly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Maynooth University's Faculty of Science & Engineering. She supervises PhD students in applied artificial intelligence, focusing on intelligent search, ubiquitous computing, and multimodal information access. She is affiliated with the ADAPT SFI Research Centre, SFI Centre for Research Training in Foundations of Data Science, and Human Health Institute. BSc in Computer Science MSc (Research) in Computer Science PhD in Computer Science Her research explores context-sensitive retrieval and evaluation methodology in AI-driven systems. Key areas include ubiquitous computing for personal data analysis, deep learning classification for mental wellness indicators, and multimodal lifelogging integration. Recent publications focus on urban mental wellbeing classification , contextual cue analysis , and AI-driven health search systems . Articles address smart city applications , consumer health search , and cross-lingual medical retrieval . Professional roles include Doctoral Consortium Chair at ECIR 2023 and Programme Committee member for SIGIR and ICWSM conferences. She leads grants for 4-year PhD studentships with stipend and fee coverage.
Alice Turk is a Professor of Linguistic Phonetics at the University of Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. She holds a PhD from Cornell University and serves as Principal Investigator for the ERC Advanced Grant 'PLANART: Planning the Articulation of Spoken Utterances' and collaborates on the project 'Prosodic Structure at the Interface Between Language and Speech'. Her research focuses on speech production, perception, prosodic structure, and timing. Education: PhD, Cornell University Her research interests span speech articulation, optimal control theory, motor control, and cross-linguistic phonetic patterns. She has led over 14 research projects, including studies on speech timing, ultrasound tongue imaging resources, and prosodic interfaces. Currently supervising PhD students Candice Mathers and William Peralta, she teaches courses such as 'Phonetics & Laboratory Phonology' and 'Speech Production & Perception'. Past grants include AHRC-funded work on prosodic structures and EPSRC support for an Edinburgh speech production facility. Her ERC grant (2022-2026) explores articulatory planning using optimal control models and biomechanical simulations.
Professor Simon Robinson is a faculty member in the School of Mathematics and Computer Science at Swansea University, holding a position as a Professor of Computer Science. He serves as the Head of the Future Interaction Technologies (FIT) Lab and Director of the MSc year for the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Enhancing Human Interaction and Collaboration with Data-Driven Systems. His research focuses on devices and interactions designed for emergent users in low-connectivity regions, emphasizing participatory design and co-creation with underserved communities. Current projects include the EPSRC-funded UnMute initiative, which aims to empower marginalized language speakers through spoken language technologies. Key affiliations include leadership roles in the FIT Lab and the EPSRC CDT, alongside contributions to projects like Rethinking Public Technology in a Post-COVID Era, PV Interfaces, and Scaling the Rural Enterprise. His work spans ubiquitous computing, deformable devices, and inclusive interaction design for global south communities. Research interests center on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a focus on low-resource settings. Recent work addresses speech technologies for unwritten languages, trust in human-robot interactions, and sustainable self-powered interfaces. His lab explores innovations like Light-In-Light-Out (Li-Lo) displays and community-driven smart materials (PV-Pix). Professor Robinson has supervised numerous PhD students across topics including AI ethics, predictive maintenance, and human-centric NLP. He teaches modules like Introduction to HCI and contributes to the Human-Centred Big Data and AI Dissertation program. His work integrates grants from EPSRC and collaborative projects with international partners, reflecting a commitment to socially impactful technology. Labs & Teams: Director of the FIT Lab, active in the EPSRC CDT, and collaborator in interdisciplinary teams focusing on rural technology, assistive AI, and sustainable interfaces.
Abigail C. Cohn is a Professor of Linguistics at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Southeast Asia Program. Her research bridges phonetics, phonology, and sociolinguistics, with a focus on Austronesian languages of Indonesia and language shift dynamics. She investigates the interplay between abstract sound patterns (phonology) and their physical realization (phonetics), emphasizing laboratory phonology methods. Her work on Indonesian sociolinguistics examines how young Indonesians' shift to using Indonesian as a first language impacts local languages' structural integrity. Dr. Cohn's Fulbright Senior Research Scholarship (2012-2013) supported her project at Unika Atma Jaya on language contact in Indonesia, analyzing Sundanese-Indonesian interactions. She co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Laboratory Phonology and serves as co-editor-in-chief of Linguistics Vanguard . Her teaching spans foundational and advanced courses like Phonology I and II, guiding students in independent research and honors theses. Her research methodologies include experimental phonetics, sociolinguistic surveys, and corpus analysis. Current projects address language endangerment in majority-spoken languages and the role of multilingualism in structural language change. Awards: Fulbright Senior Research Scholar (2012-2013) Key Projects: Language Contact in Indonesia, Indonesian Language Shift Dynamics Editorial Roles: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Linguistics Vanguard ; Co-Editor, Oxford Handbook of Laboratory Phonology
Richard J. Senghas is a Professor of Anthropology at Sonoma State University . His work bridges linguistic anthropology and Deaf studies , focusing on the evolution of Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN) and sociocultural dynamics in intentional communities. Education BA, University of Massachusetts (Amherst), 1978 MA, University of Rochester, 1994 PhD, University of Rochester, 1997 His research examines how language emergence intersects with identity formation , community development , and political factors . He has published extensively on ISN’s development, sociolinguistic variation in sign languages, and cybernetic models of language change. Key publications include works in The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Anthropology (2017), Annual Review of Anthropology (2002), and edited volumes on Deaf communities. His 2017 chapter explores communicative practices in sign languages, while older works analyze ISN’s birth and sociolinguistic diversity in ASL. Scientific Awards Edward Sapir Book Prize, Society for Linguistic Anthropology (2001) As a California State University Academic Senate representative, he advocates for academic governance. Collaboratively, he works with his sister Ann Senghas (Barnard College) and other scholars like Judy Pyers and Lorraine Monaghan .
Anna Shusterman is a Professor in the Psychology Department at Wesleyan University, where she has taught and directed research in the Cognitive Development Laboratories since 2007. She co-founded and serves as co-chair of Wesleyan's College of Education Studies, established in 2020. Her educational background includes: Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from Brown University Graduate studies and post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University's Laboratory for Developmental Studies under Elizabeth Spelke and Susan Carey Dr. Shusterman's research centers on conceptual development in children, with a focus on the interplay between language and cognition in spatial and numerical domains. She investigates how language shapes children's understanding of numbers and space, and develops methodological approaches for translating developmental science into practical preschool classroom applications. Her work explores how young children perceive and learn about the world through simple, engaging games. Analysis of her recent publications (2019-2025) reveals consistent emphasis on numerical cognition, language acquisition, and spatial reasoning. Key themes include language's role in math development, early numeracy in diverse populations (particularly deaf and hard of hearing children), and implementation of research-based math activities in preschool settings. Her work demonstrates how language exposure in any modality supports numerical concept development and how grammatical structures influence number word acquisition. Dr. Shusterman has secured significant research funding including NSF CAREER grants and collaborative research awards. She mentors undergraduate researchers in her laboratory and actively bridges academic research with practical educational applications through her work with the College of Education Studies. She directs the Blue Lab within Wesleyan's Cognitive Development Laboratories, located in Judd Hall. The NSF-funded lab conducts studies with children under 12 from central Connecticut preschools, schools, and daycare centers, using fun games to investigate how children think about numbers, space, language, and social concepts.
Tanel Alumäe is an Associate Professor of Speech Processing at Tallinn University of Technology's School of Information Technologies, Department of Software Science. With over 15 years of academic experience, he has held various research and teaching positions at the university since 2006, progressing from Research Fellow to Tenured Associate Professor. His work focuses on speech and language technologies with a particular emphasis on Estonian language applications. PhD in Information and Communication Technology (2006), Tallinn University of Technology Research Master's Degree in Informatics (2002), Tallinn Technical University MSc studies at Tallinn Technical University (1999-2002) and Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany (1999-2000) Diploma in Computer and Systems Engineering (1994-1999), Tallinn Technical University Alumäe's research spans automatic speech recognition, speaker recognition, natural language processing, and computational linguistics with a focus on Estonian language technology. His work addresses challenges in multilingual speech processing, deep learning applications for speech technologies, and developing practical systems for real-world applications including broadcast media processing and accessibility solutions. He has made significant contributions to low-resource language processing and specialized applications for children's speech and emotion recognition. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on cutting-edge speech processing techniques including deepfake detection, multi-speaker systems, speech-to-speech translation, and applying large language models to speech applications. The research shows a consistent pattern of addressing both theoretical challenges in speech processing and practical implementations for Estonian language technology. Award 'Keeletegu 2019' from the Ministry of Education and Research Award 'Keeletegu 2011' from Estonian Ministry of Education and Research 3rd award at the Tallinn University of Technology contest for applied scientific projects (2011) Boris Tamm stipend (2007) First prize at the national contest of students' scientific works (2007) Ustus Agur stipend of Estonian Information Technology and Telecommunications Association (2005) Alumäe has supervised postdoctoral researchers including Rena Nemoto (2012-2015) on pronunciation modeling for speech recognition. He serves in editorial and review capacities for major journals including Nature, Computer Speech & Language, and IEEE Transactions. His administrative roles include Secretary of the Northern European Association for Language Technology Board and membership on the Department of Software Science Council at TalTech. His research group at Tallinn University of Technology actively participates in international challenges (IWSLT, Interspeech, Odyssey) and collaborates with institutions worldwide. The team has developed open-source platforms for Estonian speech transcription and created systems for automatic closed captioning of Estonian broadcasts, demonstrating strong practical applications of their research.
Dr. Jacek Kudera is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Phonetics at the University of Trier, coordinator of the LODinG project at the Trier Center for Digital Humanities, and adjunct faculty at WSB Merito University in Wrocław. His work bridges phonetics, Slavic linguistics, digital humanities, and forensic speech science. Education 2022 – PhD, Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Germany 2019 – MA (Linguistics), Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Denmark 2015 – Magister (Slavic Philology), Institute of Slavic Studies, University of Wrocław, Poland Research Interests His research focuses on phonetic and prosodic aspects of Slavic languages , cross-linguistic speech perception , forensic automatic speaker recognition , and human-robot interaction . He employs experimental methods such as eye-tracking, articulatory measurements (EMA), and large-scale digital corpora to investigate how speakers of closely related languages understand one another and how machines can replicate or support this process. Publication Trends Across more than 25 peer-reviewed articles (2014-2025), Kudera has consistently explored Slavic intercomprehension , speech technology evaluation , and digital humanities infrastructure . Recent work (2024-2025) targets voice cloning security , linked open data for linguistics , and mismatch conditions in forensic speaker recognition . Scientific Awards & Fellowships Visegrad Fellowship, University of Presov (2025) Erasmus+ Fellowships (Ostrava 2025, Zagreb 2014, Rijeka 2012-2013) NAWA Fellowship, Polish Academy of Sciences (2022) Nordlys Fellowship, University of Eastern Finland (2018-2019) CEEPUS & additional Central-European mobility grants (2014-2018) Projects & Funding Coordinator : “Mismatch conditions in machine speaker identification” (University of Trier Research Fund, 2024-2025) Coordinator : LODinG – Linked Open Data in the Humanities (Trier Center for Digital Humanities, ongoing) Coordinator : “Patterns: Linguistic Creativity and Variation” (Trier Center for Language and Communication, 2022-2024) Member : SFB 1102 “Information Density and Linguistic Encoding” (Saarland University, DFG, 2019-2022) Member : Digital Atlas of Dialects of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2017-2018) Member : CLARIN-PL & European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures (2014-2017) Labs & Teams He conducts research within the Phonetics Team at the University of Trier , collaborates closely with the Trier Center for Digital Humanities , and maintains affiliations with the Phonetics Group at Saarland University and the WSB Merito University in Wrocław.
Susan E. Brennan is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University, with joint appointments in Computer Science and an affiliation in Linguistics. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1990) and has been a faculty member since 1990. Her research focuses on the cognitive science of language use, particularly interactive spoken dialogue, eye-tracking as a communication tool, and human-AI interaction. She is also involved in projects exploring how technology interfaces with communication, including speech and language systems. Her academic roles include serving as Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair in Psychology. Brennan’s work has been continuously supported by the NSF, totaling over $3.5M in grants. Notable awards include the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship (2003) and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service (2012). Research interests span the psychology of language, multimodal communication, and the neural basis of dialogue. She has published extensively on topics like common ground in conversation, coordination signals, and the role of gaze in collaborative tasks. Her lab integrates behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and computational models to study real-world communication dynamics.
Eiling Yee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She holds a Ph.D. from Brown University (2005) and leads the Yee Lab, focusing on cognitive and neural representations of concepts. Her research explores semantic memory, spoken word recognition, and how perceptual experiences shape language processing. Research areas include the relationship between sensory input and conceptual processing, with emphasis on the anterior temporal lobe and angular gyrus roles in semantic networks. She employs neuroimaging and eyetracking methods to study abstract vs. concrete concepts, embodiment of knowledge, and lexical-semantic activation in aphasia. Her work bridges cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, and developmental psychology. Notable contributions include studies on manual experience shaping object representations, distributional semantics models, and autism-spectrum traits influencing embodied cognition. The lab's interdisciplinary approach addresses questions about how context and sensory experience shape meaning representation.
Dr. Margreet Vogelzang is a Lecturer in Psychology at Newcastle University and an affiliated researcher at Theoretical and Applied Linguistics within the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge. Based at the English Faculty Building, 9 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP, and affiliated with Trinity College at Cambridge, she maintains a dual institutional presence that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of her work. Her research program combines neuroscientific, psychological, linguistic, and statistical methodologies to investigate language and cognitive processing across the lifespan. She specializes in multilingual syntactic and semantic processing, employing both written and spoken language paradigms with offline (comprehension, judgments) and online (eye-tracking, EEG, fMRI) measures. Her work examines how hearing loss, socio-linguistic variables, and developmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder influence language processing mechanisms. Analysis of her recent publication record reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) bilingualism effects on cognitive flexibility in autistic children, (2) neural and cognitive mechanisms of sentence processing in individuals with hearing loss, and (3) computational modeling of pronoun interpretation across diverse populations. These strands demonstrate her consistent focus on bridging theoretical linguistics with cognitive neuroscience to address practical questions about language processing variability. Dr. Vogelzang actively supervises several graduate students including Alexander Cairncross, Andromachi Tsoukala, and Chara Triantafyllidou, and serves as course contact for Li16: Psychology of language processing and learning at Cambridge. Her teaching portfolio includes psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, cognitive science, and research methods, reflecting her methodological expertise across experimental and computational approaches.
