Chantel Prat (University of Washington, Seattle)

Title: Resting-State Connectivity and Bilingual Language Experience

My research has consistently focused on how variability in brain functioning relates to individual differences in complex abilities, with a focus on network-level functioning. Recently, my work has shifted from investigating task-based patterns of activation to task-free measures of connectivity. In this talk, I will discuss two lines of research linking individual differences in patterns of resting-state connectivity to bilingual language experience. First I will describe a series of investigations that have used individual differences in resting-state connectivity to predict how readily someone will acquire a second language in adulthood. I will then transition to a new line of research investigating individual differences in resting-state connectivity in monolinguals and bilinguals with varying proficiencies and L2 experiences.  I will wrap up by summarizing the implications of this research both for our understanding of how bilingualism shapes the mind and brain, and for understanding what is represented in individual differences in resting-state brain functioning.

When: Tuesday, June 11, 9:30am

Where: Goodman Cancer Research Centre, 1160 Pine Ave W, room 501

Refreshments will be served following the talk, before the subsequent talk by Andrea Stocco. We encourage you to bring your own reusable coffee mug and/or water bottle.

Accessibility: Accessible entrances are from Pine Ave (room 501 is just inside the Pine entrance) or through Life Sciences complex, roundabout at 3649 Sir-William-Osler (Take the elevator to the 5th floor, when exiting the elevator turn right and walk all the way to the end of the hallway). Entire building is served by accessible elevators, with accessible washrooms on all levels.

 

Chantel Prat’s research investigates the biological basis of individual differences in cognition, with an emphasis on understanding the shared neural mechanisms underpinning language and higher-level executive abilities. Her research has employed fMRI, TMS, DTI, end ERPs to explore such mechanisms. She is currently investigating the overlap between language and executive functioning in bilinguals, who outperform monolinguals on tests of executive functioning, and in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, who exhibit impairments in both language and executive functions. She earned her Ph.D. at U.C. Davis, and completed her postdoctoral work at Carnegie Mellon, looking at network-level characterizations of cognitive capacity. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, with appointments in Psychology, at the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, and in the Neurobiology and Behavior Program. Click here to view her CV.