Dr. Natasha Abner

Biography

Natasha Abner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Michigan, where she also serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Her research interests are diverse, focusing on sign languages, morpho-syntax, the syntax-semantics interface, language development, and the emergence of communities of individuals who utilize sign languages. She is currently leading a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation, which investigates the structure of sign language gesture among deaf signers and hearing non-signers, as well as teaching hearing students American Sign Language. Her work has contributed to the fields of semantics and syntax, and her research histories on sign languages have been published in prestigious outlets such as Science and featured in Popular Science. Dr. Abner actively runs the Sign Language & Multi-Modal Communication Lab, providing a discussion platform for faculty, staff, and students engaged in linguistic research. Her dynamic approach to education and research significantly enriches the community at the University of Michigan.

Research Interests