Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE)
I am currently a research assistant in Dr. Rossi’s Brain, Language, and Bilingualism (BLAB) lab. The University Research Scholars Program (URSP) was instrumental to my involvement in undergraduate research. I was fortunate to enroll in a CURE that piqued my interest called "Ride the Wave! Research how the brain processes language". As a student in the Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience track, this research perfectly aligned with my academic interests. This class introduced me to interdisciplinary fields, uniting my passion for neuroscience with elements of humanities and linguistics. The small class environment promoted teamwork, critical thinking, networking, and professional mentoring. I learned the physics behind EEG methodology, capping techniques, data analysis, and research ethics. As a fluent Spanish speaker, I worked alongside graduate students on a heritage native speaker research project called HELPing. The study recorded participants’ brain waves via EEG as they reacted and responded to Spanish phrases and sentences. The goal was to find specific deflections in event-related potentials (ERPs) when the participant is shown and recognizes grammatically incorrect phrases. Working with Dr. Luque, a professor from the University of Norway, and my fellow classmates showed me the importance of collaborating with others from diverse backgrounds. The culmination of the course was our presentation at the UF Spring 2021 Research Symposium. Knowing my weakness lies in public speaking, I took the opportunity to improve through group exercises and mock practices. Slowly, my anxiety and dread were replaced by confidence and knowledge. I gauged the audience member’s knowledge of EEG techniques and continued our conversation from there. I will incorporate the teamwork and communication skills I acquired as a physician who appreciates the significance of diversity, inclusion, and interprofessionalism.
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Rosetta Stone Learning Project
The main focus of this study is to capture the earliest neural and behavioral signatures of novel language learning (e.g., Dutch) and measure how individual differences in cognitive function impacts this new learning. Additionally, the study explores the effects of previous bilingualism on novel language learning. It is hypothesized that previous bilingual experience will modulate the qualitative and quantitative behavioral and neural signatures of novel language learning. By implementing EEG methodology, this research offers insight into the neural basis of language learning and cognitive functions.
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The EEG data collected is related to specific tasks (ERPs) and capture individuals’ electrical brain activity at rest (RS-EEG). Participants first complete an extensive demographic and Language History Questionnaire to evaluate variables connected to their language background. The study methodology involves a pre-testing session before participants start learning a new language (Dutch) via the online platform Rosetta Stone. Participants are then exposed to Dutch for 10 days (~1 hour per day). Participants then return to the EEG lab for a post-testing session. In order to measure the neural sensitivity to the new language, and the role of individual differences in cognitive performance, participants will complete a battery of EEG-based language and cognitive tasks, including a semantic categorization task in Dutch and a Flanker task (to measure cognitive control). For each testing session I am involved in recruiting, actively testing participants, including preparing them for EEG testing, saving and storing data, and analyzing behavioral and EEG data. A key novel component for this research will be to advance and apply my knowledge on EEG data analysis on the BrainVision software. I have also performed language coding data analysis on Spanish, English, and Dutch audio files. Access the research study's abstract here.
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