Professor Dr. Jonathan Brennan

Biography

Jonathan Brennan studies the mental structures and computations used to understand words and sentences, focusing on the processes implemented in the brain. His research employs formal computational models of language comprehension to investigate the neural correlates of basic cognitive computations such as lexical access, syntax, and semantics through techniques like electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). He has a particular interest in experimental methods that are as naturalistic as possible, using designs in which participants read or listen to stories, focusing on sentence processing in everyday language use. His naturalistic techniques are especially suitable for investigating language comprehension in populations such as children with autism spectrum disorder, where standard experimental tasks may not be appropriate. Jonathan directs the Computational Neurolinguistics Lab at the University of Michigan.

Research Interests