Current Members

Dr. Chris Westbury-- personal web site
Principal Investigator
E-mail Chris
pix of chris My interests are in understanding what language is and how it is neurologically instantiated. Empirical methods I have used include experiments with normals, the systematic study of brain-damaged subjects, and, in collaboration with other colleagues, brain-imaging using fMRI. I try to use formal (mathematically and/or computationally well-defined) methods and statistical explanatory frameworks. I am particularly interested in statistical models of semantics (co-occurrence models) and in using automated methods (most recently, genetic programming) to find formal descriptions of large datasets.

Cyrus Shaoul -- personal web site
Graduate Student
E-mail Cyrus
pic cyrus

I am interested in statistical models of semantic knowledge and experimental measures of lexical semantic processing. I am also interested in autonomic measures of language processing and new experimental paradigms.

Gail Moroschan -- personal web site

Graduate Student

Photo of Gail E-mail Gail

I am currently working towards my PhD. in the area of Behavioural, Systems, and Cognitive Neuroscience. My main focus of research is the neurological basis of language processing. I am interested in investigating the functional deficiencies in language that occur as a result of brain damage (also known as aphasia). We can study this using the Alberta Language Function Assessment Battery (ALFAB) in conjunction with imaging methods such as MRI and fMRI. One method that I am specifically interested in is using MRI scans and voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to produce neurological probability maps of functional language deficits.

Lab Alumae

Emilio Gagliardi
Graduate Student

I am currently studying the effects that semantic distance has on how we assign meaning to words. In particular, does semantic distance influence the emotional content of words. I will be completing my honors’ thesis in the spring of 2005 and hopefully continuing my work in graduate school here at the University of Alberta.

Signy Sheldon
Research Assistant
p of signy I am interested in how the brain supports different aspects of language. One method I am particularly interested in is comparing the performance of individuals with and without brain damage on language related tasks. Other issues of interest include the dissociation of processes within language and the role of context in the interpretation of word meaning.

Geoff Hollis - personal web site
Honors Student

My lab interests are automated knowledge discovery, evolutionary computation, and statistical models of semantics. My other (hobbyist) academic interests include, but are not limited to: the nature of time, artificial life, quantum mechanics and their interpretations, the future of computation, and the future of humanity.

Nayha Acharya
Undergraduate Student

pic of nayha I'm learning about prosody or the melody of speech. Without it, I believe conversation would be considerably more boring, so it's an important thing to learn about. More specifically though, I want to find out if prosody is represented differently in male and female brains.


Team The Westbury Lab's complement of Staff and Students.		Current Members Dr. Chris Westbury-- personal web site Principal Investigator E-mail Chris My interests are in understanding what language is and how it is neurologically instantiated. Empirical methods I have used include experiments with normals, the systematic study of brain-damaged subjects, and, in collaboration with other colleagues, brain-imaging using fMRI. I try to use formal (mathematically and/or computationally well-defined) methods and statistical explanatory frameworks. I am particularly interested in statistical models of semantics (co-occurrence models) and in using automated methods (most recently, genetic programming) to find formal descriptions of large datasets. Cyrus Shaoul -- personal web site Graduate Student E-mail Cyrus I am interested in statistical models of semantic knowledge and experimental measures of lexical semantic processing. I am also interested in autonomic measures of language processing and new experimental paradigms. Gail Moroschan -- personal web site Graduate Student E-mail Gail I am currently working towards my PhD. in the area of Behavioural, Systems, and Cognitive Neuroscience. My main focus of research is the neurological basis of language processing. I am interested in investigating the functional deficiencies in language that occur as a result of brain damage (also known as aphasia). We can study this using the Alberta Language Function Assessment Battery (ALFAB) in conjunction with imaging methods such as MRI and fMRI. One method that I am specifically interested in is using MRI scans and voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to produce neurological probability maps of functional language deficits. Lab Alumae Emilio Gagliardi Graduate Student I am currently studying the effects that semantic distance has on how we assign meaning to words. In particular, does semantic distance influence the emotional content of words. I will be completing my honors’ thesis in the spring of 2005 and hopefully continuing my work in graduate school here at the University of Alberta. Signy Sheldon Research Assistant I am interested in how the brain supports different aspects of language. One method I am particularly interested in is comparing the performance of individuals with and without brain damage on language related tasks. Other issues of interest include the dissociation of processes within language and the role of context in the interpretation of word meaning. Geoff Hollis - personal web site Honors Student My lab interests are automated knowledge discovery, evolutionary computation, and statistical models of semantics. My other (hobbyist) academic interests include, but are not limited to: the nature of time, artificial life, quantum mechanics and their interpretations, the future of computation, and the future of humanity. Nayha Acharya Undergraduate Student I'm learning about prosody or the melody of speech. Without it, I believe conversation would be considerably more boring, so it's an important thing to learn about. More specifically though, I want to find out if prosody is represented differently in male and female brains.