The Language Neuroscience Podcast
A podcast about the scientific study of language and the brain. Neuroscientist Stephen Wilson talks with leading and up-and-coming researchers about their work and ideas. This podcast is geared to an audience of scientists who are working in the field of language neuroscience, from students to postdocs to faculty.
Episodes
Content is king: The assertion-evidence approach for effective scientific presentations, with Michael Alley
In this episode, I talk with Michael Alley, Engineering Communications Teaching Professor in the Penn State College of Engineering about his radical approach to better scientific presentations.Alley M. The craft of scientific presentations: Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. Springer, 2013. [doi]Garner JK, Alley M. How the design of presentation slides affects audience compreh
SNL 2026 teaser with Valentina Borghesani and Ryan Law
In this episode, I talk with Valentina Borghesani and Ryan Law from the SNL Program Committee about their exciting plans for the 2026 conference in Geneva, Switzerland.SNL 2026
Bilingualism, mind, and brain, with Ellen Bialystok
In this epidode, I talk with Ellen Bialystok, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at York University, about her case for the “bilingual advantage”, or to be more precise, the case that growing up in a bilingual environment reconfigures mind and brain for adaptability, effiency, and resiliance.Bialystok E, Craik FIM, Klein R, Viswanathan M. Bilingualism, aging, and cognitive control: Evi
‘Wired for words: the neural architecture of language’ with Greg Hickok
In this epidode, I talk with Greg Hickok, Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Sciences & Language Science at the University of California, Irvine, about his new book ‘Wired for words: the neural architecture of language’.Hickok G. Wired for words: The neural architecture of language. 2025; MIT Press.Key Hickok papers:Hickok G, Poeppel D. The cortical organization of speech processing. Nat Rev
‘Role for left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated, but not externally cued, language production’ with Deborah Levy
In this epidode, I talk with Deborah Levy, Lecturer at Princeton University, about her paper ‘Role for left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated, but not externally cued, language production’, which just came out in Neurobiology of Language.Levy D, Greicius Q, Wang C, Ko E, Xu D, Andrews J, Chang EF. Role for left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in self-generated, but not externally cued,
‘Can the mismatch negativity really be elicited by abstract linguistic contrasts?’ with Steve Politzer-Ahles and Bernard Jap
In this episode, I talk with Steve Politzer-Ahles and Bernard Jap about their paper ‘Can the mismatch negativity really be elicited by abstract linguistic contrasts?’, which was recently published as a Registered Report in Neurobiology of Language.Politzer-Ahles S, Jap BAJ. Can the mismatch negativity really be elicited by abstract linguistic contrasts? Neurobiol Lang 2024; 5: 818–843. [doi]Politz
What's going on with the NIH? with Julius Fridriksson
In the episode, I talk with Julius Fridriksson, Professor of Communication Sciences and Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina, about what's going on with the NIH since the recent change of administration.
‘A mountain of small things’ with Masud Husain
In this episode, I talk with Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, about his recent editorial ‘A mountain of small things’.Husain websiteHusain M. A mountain of small things. Brain 2024; 147: 739. [doi]
Developmental dyslexia and neuroplasticity in aphasia with Maaike Vandermosten
In this episode, I talk with Maaike Vandermosten, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at KU Leuven, about the neural basis of developmental dyslexia, and neuroplasticity in recovery from aphasia.Vandermosten websiteVanderauwera J, Wouters J, Vandermosten M, Ghesquière P. Early dynamics of white matter deficits in children developing dyslexia. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 27: 69-77. [
Developmental language disorder and its neural basis with Dorothy Bishop
In this episode, I talk with Dorothy Bishop, Emeritus Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology at the University of Oxford, about her work on developmental langauge disorder and its neural basis.Bishop websiteBishop DVM. Comprehension in developmental language disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1979;21:225-38. [doi]Bishop DVM, Snowling MJ, Thompson PA, Greenhalgh T, CATALISE consortium. CATALISE:
‘Determinants of multilevel discourse outcomes in anomia treatment for aphasia’ with Rob Cavanaugh
In this episode, I talk with Rob Cavanaugh, Research Data Analyst at the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Center at Northeastern University, about his dissertation ‘Determinants of multilevel discourse outcomes in anomia treatment for aphasia’.Cavanaugh websiteCavanaugh, R. Determinants of multilevel discourse outcomes in anomia treatment for aphasia. Doctoral dissertation, Unive
Deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, and the brain, with Jean-Rémi King
In the episode, I talk with Jean-Rémi King, Research scientist and team leader at Meta AI, and Associate Researcher at CNRS, École Normale Supérieure, about three recent papers from his lab on deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, and the brain.King websiteMillet J, Caucheteux C, Orhan P, Boubenec Y, Gramfort A, Dunbar E, Pallier C, King J-R. Toward a realistic model of speech pro
‘Neural dynamics of phoneme sequences reveal position-invariant code for content and order’ with Laura Gwilliams
In this episode, I talk with Laura Gwilliams, soon-to-be Assistant Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Data Science at Stanford University, about her recent paper ‘Neural dynamics of phoneme sequences reveal position-invariant code for content and order’.Gwilliams lab websiteGwilliams L, King JR, Marantz A, Poeppel D. Neural dynamics of phoneme sequences reveal position-invariant code for c
Encoding and decoding semantic representations with Alexander Huth
In this episode, I talk with Alexander Huth, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Computer Science at the University of Texas, Austin, about his work using functional imaging and advanced computational methods to model how the brain processes language and represents meaning.Huth lab websiteHuth AG, Nishimoto S, Vu AT, Gallant JL. A continuous semantic space describes the representation of thous
‘Disentangling Semantic Composition and Semantic Association in the Left Temporal Lobe’ with Liina Pylkkänen
In this episode, I talk with Liina Pylkkänen, Professor of Linguistics and Psychology at NYU, about her research program, and in particular her recent paper ‘Disentangling semantic composition and semantic association in the left temporal lobe’.Pylkkänen lab websiteLi J, Pylkkänen L. Disentangling semantic composition and semantic association in the left temporal lobe. J Neurosci 2021; 41: 6526-38
‘Speech computations of the human superior temporal gyrus’ with Eddie Chang
In this episode, I talk with Eddie Chang, Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, about his recent paper ‘Speech computations of the human superior temporal gyrus’.Chang lab websiteBhaya-Grossman I, Chang EF. Speech computations of the human superior temporal gyrus. Annu Rev Psychol 2022; 73: 79-102. [doi | pdf]Chang EF, Rieger JW, Johnson K, Berger MS, Ba
Awake craniotomy for a brain tumor surrounded by language areas, with Olivia Leow
In this episode, I talk with Olivia Leow, who experienced an awake craniotomy for resection of a brain tumor surrounded by language areas in her left posterior temporal lobe.Vanderbilt Brain Cancer Patient Assistance Fund, established by Olivia LeowDiachek E, Morgan VL, Wilson SM. Adaptive language mapping paradigms for presurgical language mapping. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2022; in press. [pdf]Wilso
Generative linguistics and the neural basis of language, with Noam Chomsky
In this episode, I talk with Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor and Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at MIT and Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona. After starting with a discussion of the early development of Chomsky’s key ideas, our conversation is centered on the relationship between generative linguistics and the neuroscience of language.Grodzinsky Y, Finkel L. The n
Cortical myeloarchitecture, tonotopy, and spectrally directed attention, with Fred Dick
In this episode, I talk with Fred Dick, Professor of Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, about his work, with a focus on his recent paper ‘Extensive tonotopic mapping across auditory cortex is recapitulated by spectrally directed attention and systematically related to cortical myeloarchitecture’.Dick F, Bates E, Wulfeck B,
Anatomy and neuropathology of progressive speech and language disorders, with Keith Josephs
In this episode, I talk with Keith Josephs, Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, about his work on the anatomy and neuropathology of progressive speech and language disorders.Josephs KA, Duffy JR, Strand EA, Whitwell JL, Layton KF, Parisi JE, et al. Clinicopathological and imaging correlates of progressive aphasia and apraxia of speech. Brain 2006; 129: 1385-98. [doi]
Imaging the language network, with Cathy Price
In this episode, I talk with Cathy Price, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London, about her pioneering work on functional neuroimaging of the language network, whether there are really such things as “language regions”, degeneracy, predicting and explaining language outcomes after stroke, and more.Price C, Wise R,
Language development and perinatal stroke, with Elissa Newport
In this episode, I talk with Elissa Newport, Professor of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, about her work on the neural and cognitive underpinnings of language development, including statistical learning, language after perinatal stroke, lateralization, plasticity, the critical period, and more.Saffran JR, Aslin RN, Newport EL. Statistical learning by
‘Robust effects of working memory demand during naturalistic language comprehension in language-selective cortex’ with Cory Shain
In this episode, I talk with Cory Shain, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, about his recent fMRI study of working memory demand in naturalistic language comprehension.Shain C, Blank IA, Fedorenko E, Gibson E, Schuler W. Robust effects of working memory demand during naturalistic language comprehension in language-selective cortex. bioRxiv 2021; 2021.
‘Situating the left-lateralized language network in the broader organization of multiple specialized large-scale distributed networks’ with Rodrigo Braga
In this episode, I talk with Rodrigo Braga, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University, about his recent paper on identifying the language network from functional connectivity analyses of resting state data.Braga RM, DiNicola LM, Becker HC, Buckner RL. Situating the left-lateralized language network in the broader organization of multiple specialized large-scale distributed networ
Neurotypology, predictive coding, and dorsal and ventral streams, with Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky
In this episode, I talk with Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of South Australia, about neurotypology, predictive coding, and dorsal and ventral streams.Bornkessel-Schlesewsky lab websiteBornkessel I, Zysset S, Friederici AD, Von Cramon DY, Schlesewsky M. Who did what to whom? The neural basis of argument hierarchies during language comprehension. N
‘Neuroprosthesis for decoding speech in a paralyzed person with anarthria’ with David Moses and Jessie Liu
In this episode, I talk with David Moses and Jessie Liu about their recent NEJM paper ‘Neuroprosthesis for decoding speech in a paralyzed person with anarthria’, in which they decoded intended utterances from the brain of an individual with anarthria using an electrode array implanted of sensorimotor cortex and machine learning.Moses DA, Metzger SL, Liu JR, et al. Neuroprosthesis for decoding spee
Neuromodulation with Roy Hamilton
In this episode, I talk with Roy Hamilton, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, about his work using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS), and in particular the application of these neuromodulatory techniques to enhance recovery from aphasia.Laboratory for Cognition and Neural StimulationPenn Brain Science, Transl
The history of the neuroscience of language: 1820-1922, with Willem “Pim” Levelt
Stephen talks with Willem “Pim” Levelt, Director Emeritus of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and author of “A history of psycholinguistics: The pre-Chomskyan era”, about the early history of the neuroscience of language.
Broca and Wernicke are dead, with Pascale Tremblay
Stephen talks with Pascale Tremblay, Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at Université Laval, about how she co-founded the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, her paper "Broca and Wernicke are dead, or moving past the classic model of language neurobiology", and her work on the language tracts of the brain.https://langneurosci.org/podcast/ep10
Clinical Aphasiology Conference 2021 Recap with Maya Henry, Andrew DeMarco, and Sarah Schneck
Stephen is joined by Maya Henry, Andrew DeMarco, and Sarah Schneck to discuss some of our favorite presentations from the Clinical Aphasiology Conference 2021.https://langneurosci.org/podcast/ep9
Aphasia treatment with Julius Fridriksson
Stephen talks with Julius Fridriksson, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Carolina, about aphasia treatment and its neural substrates.
'Functional organization for verb generation in children with developmental language disorder' with Saloni Krishnan
Stephen talks with Saloni Krishnan, Lecturer in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, about her work, in particular her recent paper 'Functional organization for verb generation in children with developmental language disorder'.
Sign language and the brain with Karen Emmorey
Stephen talks with Karen Emmorey, Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University, about sign language and the brain.
‘Damage to Broca’s area does not contribute to long-term speech production outcome after stroke’ with Andrea Gajardo-Vidal and Diego Lorca-Puls
Stephen talks with Andrea Gajardo-Vidal and Diego Lorca-Puls about their recent paper ‘Damage to Broca’s area does not contribute to long-term speech production outcome after stroke’.
Neural oscillations and neural entrainment with Jonas Obleser
Stephen talks about neural oscillations and neural entrainment with Jonas Obleser, Professor of Psychology at University of Lübeck
A conversation with Eddie Chang
Stephen talks with Eddie Chang, Professor and Chair of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.
A conversation with Sophie Scott
Stephen talks with Sophie Scott, CBE, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London.
A conversation with Ev Fedorenko
Stephen talks with Ev Fedorenko, Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT.
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