Uncovering the neurocognitive system that supports the building blocks of linguistic meaning
Pinango's lab seeks to uncover the neurocognitive system that supports the connection between word meaning structures and the conceptual and memory systems from which they emerge during both storage and real-time implementation. We carry out this research using various empirical and experimental methods integrated in a mutually informing manner. These methods come from linguistics (e.g., introspection, fieldwork, and questionnaires), psychology (e.g., self-paced reading, lexical-decision, eye-tracking), cognitive neuroscience (e.g., focal brain lesions, EEG/ERP, and fMRI), and computational modeling (e.g., dynamic field theory).
Biography
Maria Piñango received her PhD in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from Brandeis University in 1999. Her dissertation focused on the question of the neurocognitive basis of semantic vs. syntactic composition. She joined Yale-Linguistics that same year and the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program in 2000. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Piñango entered the study of the neurocognition of language by studying the patterns of linguistic impairment resulting from brain focal lesions. When not teaching or doing research, Piñango enjoys walkabouts with her husband and son.