Dr. Christine Brennan is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist and speech-language language pathologist investigating the brain systems supporting language development and speech processing. Using a combination of behavioral and neuroimaging methods, her research aims to better understand the process by which the auditory cortex encodes phonemes and how it synthesizes phonemes into words. Additionally, she is interested in how these processes are affected by experience and skill, including language and reading experience, reading instruction method, and phonological awareness skill. Her current project investigates differences in phonological representation in the auditory cortex of children with and without dyslexia to better understand what underlies this disability and to develop treatments that are better at addressing these underlying issues.
keywords
dyslexia, speech processing, phonological skill, neuroscience, brain activation, fMRI, reading development, reading skill, reading instruction, reading intervention, special education, speech and language impairment, developmental disabilities, speech and language intervention
