Research interests.
As a speech and language pathologist and neurolinguist I am interested in the disruption of language processing and cognition in different patient groups. I am fascinated by the neuroanatomy of language processing and the neural plasticity of the brain after acquired neural damage (e.g. neurodegenerative disease or stroke). My past research focused on the impact of a damaged motor system on morphosyntactic processing in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Behavioural studies and fMRI were used. Based on my research results, I support the claim that the neural basis of language is intertwined with other aspects of cognition, motor control and emotion. Currently, I also have an interest in the neural processing of tactile language in individuals with acquired dual sensory loss (e.g., Usher type I syndrome). The study of the neural basis of tactile language in adults with acquired deafblindness offers a way to evaluate the involvement of the sensory system in for example semantic representation and processing. Specialities: Neurolinguistics, Neuroimaging, Speech and Language Therapy, & Aphasiology. Areas of interest: Neurobiology of Language, Psycholinguistics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychology, & Sign/Tactile Language Research.