Beyond Words Podcast: Ev Fedorenko on Brain-Based Language Networks and Individual Differences

Описание: Full video interview with Garrett Oyama MS, CCC-SLP and Guest: Evelina (Ev) Fedorenko PhD for Brain-Based Language Networks and Individual Differences an episode of the Beyond Words podcast.

Hosted by: SpeechTherapyPD

Earn 0.1 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/cours...

In this episode, host Garrett Oyama, MS, CCC-SLP, sits down with MIT cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Evelina (Ev) Fedorenko, PhD, to explore what brain imaging reveals about how language is processed in the brain and why it matters for clinical practice.

Dr. Fedorenko shares insights from her groundbreaking research using tools like fMRI and intracranial recordings to map the brain’s core language network. Her findings show that this network is reliably located across individuals and closely connected with cognitive systems such as memory and attention.

She also discusses why the traditional distinction between syntax and semantics may not hold up neurologically, and how grammatical knowledge may instead emerge from meaningful language use. It’s a compelling conversation with practical implications for how we understand and support language development.

About the Host:
Garrett is a speech-language pathologist, musician, and research coordinator in clinics and schools within California for the past 8 years. After graduating from Emerson College in 2014, he has also worked in developing educational technology, written articles for several speech therapy-related magazines, and given presentations on various language topics at school districts, along with the ASHA Conference in 2018 and 2022.

About the Guest:
Dr. Evelina (Ev) Fedorenko, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT and the principal investigator of the Language and Brain Lab at the McGovern Institute. Her research examines how the brain facilitates language processing and how it interacts with other cognitive systems, such as memory and attention. Using tools such as fMRI and intracranial recordings, she has pioneered individualized brain mapping techniques that reveal a consistent, selective language network across individuals. Her work has significant implications for understanding language disorders and multilingualism, and she is a leading voice in promoting open and collaborative science in cognitive neuroscience.