Earlier this week, Dr. Janet F. Werker from the Infant Studies Centre of the Psychology Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC) gave a talk on “Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Probe Language Processing in the Infant Brain”.
Dr. Janet F. Werker is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Psychology at UBC. She is internationally recognized for her research investigating the perceptual foundations of language acquisition in infancy.
Her current research focuses on understanding the critical first steps of speech perception in infancy that eventually establishes the process of language acquisition. In order to do this type of research, her lab practices Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), which is a non-invasive technique that uses near-infrared wavelengths to measures cortical activation or brain function through detecting changes of Oxy- and Deoxy – Hemoglobin (blood flow) associated with neural activity.
For anyone interested about the talk and would like an insight into Dr. Janet F. Werker’s research, the slides can be found in the link below.
Dr. Janet F. Werker NIRS Presentation
– The NINET Lab