Lecture
Connecting language learning and language evolution: The creation of a sign language in Nicaragua
August 18, 2022
Languages are highly patterned abstract systems, shared within communities of speakers. Where do their patterns come from, and why are some characteristics apparently universal across languages? The birth of a new, natural human language provides an opportunity to observe how such structure arises. We consider the case of Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL), a young, urban sign language that emerged from within a community of children brought together in an educational setting in the 1970s. Originating in gestural communication among 50 children, NSL is a rich, natural language with over 1500 users today. By taking an apparent time approach, comparing present-day age cohorts, we can capture patterns of change in the linguistic structure of the language as it was transmitted over successive generations of learners. Read More
Workshop
CRBLM discussion: navigating the academic hiring process
August 17, 2022
Lecture
Kevin R. Sitek (SoundBrain Lab, University of Pittsburgh)
July 12, 2022
Title: Subcortical pathways in the human auditory system
Abstract: The human auditory pathway is comprised of multiple subcortical nuclei en route to auditory cortex. Each of these auditory structures receives top-down auditory inputs as well as multisensory and context-dependent inputs from other sensory and cognitive brain regions (and vice versa). While these neural connections are crucial for human behaviors such as speech communication and music, most of our knowledge of subcortical auditory pathways comes from animal models. In this talk I will discuss my work mapping the human subcortical auditory system using ultra-high resolution functional MRI, diffusion MRI tractography, and anatomical MRI with post mortem and in vivo human datasets. Further, I will show recent and ongoing work characterizing auditory cortical connections with dorsal striatum and their contribution to human auditory category learning. Overall, I aim to expand beyond our cortical-centric view of the human auditory system by better understanding subcortical auditory connections and their contributions to auditory processing. Read More
Conference
CRBLM Scientific Day 2021
May 18, 2021
May 18, 2021
Scientific Day is an annual event that showcases the research interests of the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM). The 2021 Scientific Day will be held online. The day will include a keynote address by Dr Aniruddh Patel, poster presentations, and an annual general assembly. Read More
Workshop
Pre-registering your study: Why, How, and What if?
December 09, 2020
Pre-registration is gaining popularity as a way to increase transparency and replicability. Pre-registration allows researchers to specify their research plans in advance, including hypotheses, sample, and planned analyses. Many journals, including Psychological Science (click here for the a list of journals), recognize preregistered research by awarding a Preregistered badge. Read More
Workshop
TMS workshop with Kate Watkins
May 15, 2019
Title: Stimulating speech: Auditory-motor interactions in production and perception
In my lab, we use non-invasive brain stimulation to explore auditory-motor interactions during speech perception and speech production. I will describe how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) works and provide a number of examples of how we have used this method in combination with behaviour and other measures of brain function. Read More
Lecture
Sara Incera (Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University)
May 21, 2019
Title: The timing of the cognitive processes underlying bilingualism and the perception of foreign accents: Evidence from mouse tracking
The mouse-tracking paradigm allows researchers to better understand how cognitive processes unfold over time by recording participants’ responses using a computer mouse. In this talk, I will present a diverse set of cognitive experiments in which I used the mouse-tracking paradigm for data collection. Read More
Workshop
Mouse-tracking workshop with Sara Incera
May 22, 2019
Title: Creating and analyzing mouse-tracking experiments
The goal of this four-hour workshop is to create and analyze mouse-tracking experiments. During the first half of the workshop, participants will become familiar with the computer software MouseTracker (download here – only works on Windows os). Read More
Uncategorized, Workshop
De-mystifying knowledge translation
July 07, 2022
Have you been asked to fill in a knowledge translation section on a grant but not sure how it fits in with your research? Are you interested in knowledge translation but not sure how to get started? This talk will cover a broad overview of the components of knowledge translation, how to get involved, and what role it plays in outreach. Read More
Workshop
CRBLM discussion on Entrepreneurship
June 15, 2022
What does a researcher need to know before becoming an entrepreneur or working in a start-up company? What is the path from scientific findings to commercialization? What resources are available for researchers on this path? The panelists will discuss these questions while speaking about their own experiences with entrepreneurship and the paths they took to their current roles. Read More
Conference
Open Science @ Concordia
May 27, 2022
Lecture
David Huron (Ohio State University)
May 24, 2022
May 24, 2022
Talk Title: The Ethological Foundations of Emotional Displays
Emotion research has been in disarray for more than a century. The field is plagued by a number of thorny questions. Why are the effect sizes so small in cross-cultural recognition studies for purportedly universal emotional expressions (e.g., Durán, et al., 2017; Russell, 1994)? Why are older, more experienced adults, ostensibly worse than adolescents when recognizing the emotions associated with different facial displays and non-speech vocalizations (e.g., Isaacowitz, et al. 2007; Lima, et al., 2013)? Why do only some emotions (such as joy, grief, or disgust) provoke display behaviors while other emotions (such as loneliness, hunger, or affection) are invisible? Why are emotion-related displays associated with so many possible motivating emotions–such as happy, stressful, or condescending smiling, or tears of grief, humor, joy, or patriotism? Why aren’t there better neuroanatomical correlates for different emotions?
Conference
Mini-symposium on Rhythm
May 19, 2022
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Conference
CRBLM SCIENTIFIC DAY 2022
May 06, 2022
May 6, 2022
Scientific Day is an annual event that showcases the research interests of the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM). The 2022 Scientific Day will be held online. The day will include a keynote address by Dr Laurel Trainor, poster presentations, and an annual general assembly. Registration and submission details below. Read More
Workshop
CRBLM WORKSHOP: INTRO TO JAVASCRIPT FOR ONLINE EXPERIMENTS
April 06, 2022
Workshop
CRBLM WORKSHOP: BITE-SIZED BRAIN RESEARCH: CREATING AN ATTENTION-GRABBING VIDEO PITCH
March 30, 2022
- Learn how to get an audience excited about your research in under 2 minutes
- Discuss best practices for engaging and accessible video communications
- Draft your video script through guided activities
Workshop
Workshop: Programming for online experiments: how to get started
March 23, 2022
NOTE: THIS WOKSHOP HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO MARCH 30
Setting up an online experiment, but not sure where to start? There are a range of tools and programming languages out there, and making sure you choose the right ones at the beginning of the project can save you time and stress later. This workshop will help you decide how to set up your online experiment. Whether you’re creating a simple survey or recording responses to complex audiovisual stimuli, this overview will help you find the right tool for the job. Read More
Growing Up in Science - Past Events
A conversation with Dr. Sylvain Baillet
March 07, 2022
Speaker: Sylvain Baillet
When: Monday, March 7 at 15:00
Where: By zoom or in-person at UdeM (limited capacity, following public health guidelines)
Register here.
The Montreal chapter of Growing up in Science is excited to invite you to our first event: a conversation with Dr. Sylvain Baillet!
The video of this past event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNefVTwW1E
Workshop
CRBLM discussion: Leading a lab in the pandemic
February 18, 2022
Leading a lab can be difficult under the best of times, and these stresses are often further amplified by the pandemic. Whether it be day-to-day operations, navigating the student-supervisor relationship or adjusting to changes due to the pandemic, many key aspects of leading a lab can be challenging. The CRBLM will be hosting a roundtable discussion on this topic, featuring perspectives from CRBLM members Andréanne Sharp (Laval University) and Jorge Armony (McGill), as well as Lorraine Chalifour, Associate Dean of McGill’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Services. Come join your fellow researchers and share your experience, too, as we discuss how to navigate the ups and downs of leading a lab throughout the pandemic! Read More
Conference, Lecture
CRBLM Symposium: Cultural Evolution of Communication
November 15, 2021
Despite the tremendous structural diversity across languages and across communication systems in non-human animals, many patterns are prevalent across languages, across individuals within animal species, and across species. This symposium will feature talks about cognitive, perceptual, and production biases that contribute to the formation of common patterns in humans and non-human animals.
Read More
Workshop
CRBLM Workshop: Poster-making in Inkscape
October 20, 2021
Looking for another way to create figures and posters, or add to the knowledge you already have? This hands-on workshop will cover the basics of image files, offer some tips for creating clean visuals, and introduce Inkscape, a free software similar to Adobe Illustrator that can be used to create polished documents of any size. We will walk through the tools and functions that will help you through your next project.
Read More
Workshop
Neuro-EDI Workshop Series
September 30, 2021 - December 13, 2021
Each of our brains is unique. Our personalities, values, knowledge, and innate dispositions for certain ways of thinking give each of us a particular way of working. Creativity, innovation, and impact are at their greatest in environments where all brains can thrive. Read More
Workshop
CRBLM discussion: Applying for funding as a graduate student
September 10, 2021
Funding opportunities are available to incoming and current graduate students through various grant agencies such as the Canadian tri-council (NSERC, SSHRC & CIHR). Applications for these scholarships can be difficult to navigate and require planning ahead. Luckily there are many resources available to help you along your application journey. Read More
Workshop
CRBLM discussion: Social media for academics
June 30, 2021
Social media is increasingly considered to be a part of an academic’s life, and if used well it can be an indispensable tool for networking and research dissemination. Unfortunately, horror stories also abound of online trolls, technical blunders, or accidental faux pas. Many of us are even unsure of basic issues like how often to post, what platforms to use, and how to balance personal and professional posts when our “followers” include diverse contacts such as family members, students, colleagues, and potential employers. Come join your fellow researchers as we discuss how to navigate the challenges and opportunities of social media for academics! Read More