Brain Language and Bilingualism Lab

I am a second-year PhD student in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Florida. I carry out research in the Bilingual Sentence Processing Lab (PI: Dr. Jorge Valdés Kroff), and as an affiliate member in the Brain, Language, and Bilingualism Lab (PIs: Dr. Edith Kaan and Dr. Eleonora Rossi) and in the Spanish Heritage Language Lab (PI: Dr. Diego Pascual y Cabo). My research seeks to characterize the online processing of Spanish-English code-switching using psycholinguistic methodology, such as eye-tracking and EEG (ERPs and oscillations). Specifically, I am interested in how linguistic (i.e. syntactic) and extralinguistic (i.e. experiential) dimensions of bilingualism interact to modulate the processing of code-switching, particularly in heritage speakers and second-language learners of Spanish. Because language switching is itself a demanding task, my investigations also explore the cognitive domains at work in code-switching comprehension and production. The broader objective of my research is to legitimize bilingual language practices and to destigmatize bilingualism in the U.S. As such, I am always eager to speak and work with students from all backgrounds. When I am not in the lab or teaching, you can find me playing clarinet, teaching music, or hiking with my dog, Copland.