Principal Investigator
Cynthia K. Thompson, Ph.D.
Ralph and Jean Sundin Professor
ckthom@northwestern.edu
Frances Searle Building
2240 Campus Drive, Room 3-363
Evanston, IL 60208-2952
Phone: 847-491-2421
Fax: 847-467-7377
Lab Personnel
Elena Barbieri, Ph.D. (University of Milano-Bicocca, 2012)
Research Associate
847-467-7591
elena.barbieri@northwestern.edu
Joined lab in 2012. Involved in studies investigating the neural correlates of verb processing in healthy speakers and aphasic patients, as well as in examining the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the language abilities of patients suffering from primary progressive aphasia (PPA).
Matthew Walenski, Ph.D. (University of California San Diego, 2002)
Research Associate
847-467-7591
matthew.walenski@northwestern.edu
Joined lab in 2014. My research interests revolve around the roles that different brain regions play in the comprehension and production of language. I am also particularly interested in how these aspects of language unfold in time, using methods that offer a fine-grained temporal sensitivity such as eye-tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) / event-related potentials (ERP).
Mejrima (Mary) Cosic
Project Manager
847-491-2469
m-cosic@northwestern.edu
Joined lab in 2005. Coordinates all lab projects.
Nicole Vieyto, B.S.,B.A. (University of Rochester, 2020)
Research Technician, Aphasia Support Group Co-Leader
847-491-7197
nicole.vieyto@northwestern.edu
Joined the lab in 2020. Involved in clinical treatment & testing of patients, narrative analysis, data management and analysis, and lab outreach. Assists in data collection using behavioral and neuroimaging measures.
Doctoral Candidates
Brianne Chiappetta, B.S. (University of Illinois – Chicago)
brianne2022@u.northwestern.edu
Research: Music and language processing, how music and language are represented in the brain, how these processes are similar to or different from each other, and how they interact with memory and attention.
Chien Ju Hsu
chienjuhsu@u.northwestern.edu
Research: Sentence processing deficits in stroke-induced aphasia and Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA).
Doctoral Students
Volunteers
Thomas Sostarics (Graduate Student)
Caitlin Somerville (Undergraduate Research Aide)
Prerita Pandya (Undergraduate Research Aide)
June Cho (Volunteer)
Jessica Yang (Volunteer)
Erin Catherine Marchert (Volunteer)
Rachel Bunke (Volunteer)
Ashley Lynn Backus (Volunteer)
Alumni
(Year completed Ph.D.)
| Eduardo Europa, Ph.D. (2017) |
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California |
| Sladjana Lukic, Ph.D. (2016) | University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California |
| Julia Schuchard, Ph.D. (2015) | Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania |
| Soojin Cho, Ph.D. (2012) | Advance Health Solutions, LLC |
| Jiyeon Lee, Ph.D. (2011) | Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana |
| Ellyn Riley, Ph.D. (2011) | Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York |
| Janet Choy, Ph.D (2010) | University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas |
| Naomi Hashimoto, Ph.D. (2006) | Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan |
| Steve Fix, Ph.D. (2005) | Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, Illinois |
| Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah, Ph.D. (2004) | University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland |
| Swathi Kiran, Ph.D. (2001) | Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Mikyong Kim, Ph.D. (2001) | University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island |
| Kirrie J. Ballard, Ph.D. (1997) | University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
| Ruby Drew, Ph.D. (1996) | West Carolina University |
| Sandra L. Schneider, Ph.D. (1996) | Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee |
PostDoctoral Fellows
| Jennifer E. Mack, Ph.D. (2011-2018) | University of Massachusetts-Amherst |
| Elena Barbieri, Ph.D. (2012-2017) | Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois |
| Min Liao, Ph.D. (2015-2016) | Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China |
| Michaela Nerantzini, Ph.D. (2013-2015) | Technological Educational Institution of Western Greece, Patras, Greece |
| Aya Meltzer-Asscher, Ph.D. (2010-2012) | Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Ellyn Riley, CCC-SLP, Ph.D. (2011-2012) | Syaracuse University, Syracuse New York |
| Aneta Kielar, Ph.D. (2009-2011) | University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona |
| Aaron M. Meyer, Ph.D. (2008-2010) | Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia |
| Dirk-Bart den Ouden, Ph.D. (2006-2010) | University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina |
| Steve Fix, Ph.D (2005-2007) | |
| Borna Bonakdarpour, M.D. (2001-2008) | Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois |
| Michael Walsh Dickey, Ph.D. (2000-2007) | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Lisa Milman (2003-2006) | Utah State University, Logan, Utah |
| Miseon Lee, Ph.D. (2000-2003) | Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea |
Visiting Scholars
| Tahera Mohammadi (2019-2020) | Tehran University of Medical Sciences |
| Haiyan Wang (2019-2020) | Qufu Normal University at Rizhao City in China |
| Patricia Pastoriza-Domínguez, M.A. (2017) | Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain |
| Tongquan Zhou (2013-2014) | Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China |
| Aya Meltzer-Asscher, Ph.D. (2013-2014) | Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Elena Barbieri (2010-2011) | University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy |
| Christina Manouilidtou (2014) | University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| Dorothee Saur, MD (2009-2010) | University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany |