Research Projects
Meta-Analyses of the Neural Networks for Reading, Math, and Executive Function in Development (Meta-ReMaX)
2022 - 2024, funded by Ministry of Education, Education Research Funding Programme
Reading and math skills are fundamental for the attainment of academic competence in school and the building blocks of other advanced skills throughout the lifespan. The large variabilities in children’s strengths and weaknesses in reading and math abilities suggest that they may be subserved by distinct domain-specific and shared domain-general neurocognitive mechanisms. Based on behavioural evidence, we postulate that executive function might play a significant role in the domain-general mechanism. Taking a meta-analytic approach, this project investigates the neural networks of reading, math, and executive function, as well as the interaction between the networks. The findings will provide insights into how executive function supports reading and math development, and further shed light on the design of effective intervention for improving literacy and numeracy skills in children.
Promoting Effective Biliteracy and Balanced Bilingual Development in Early Childhood (PEBBLE)
2019 - 2023, funded by Temasek Foundation
The project aims to develop an early screening and training programme to promote balanced bilingual development and biliteracy attainment in early childhood. Using a multimodal approach, we will identify early neural, cognitive, and environmental predictors in pre-school years for later bilingual and biliteracy development. We will evaluate the neurocognitive effects of different training programmes on enhancing biliteracy development. The knowledge gained will broaden our understanding of the neurocognitive development of language and reading networks in young bilinguals. The findings will have significant implications for early screening and effective training for promoting balanced bilingual and biliteracy development.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Children
A Guide for Parents
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a safe and non-invasive procedure that is commonly used in clinical and research settings. We developed a child-centered, step-by-step paediatric MRI training protocol to prepare children for MRI brain scans and to improve their experience with scanning procedures.
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(Coming Soon)
Investigating Bilingual Reading Networks
2017 - 2021, funded by CRADLE-JHU Collaborative Grant
2017 - 2023, funded by National Research Foundation
Our projects aim to elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying typical and impaired reading in bilinguals. We use a combination of behavioural assessment and neuroimaging techniques to investigate the neural reading networks for bilingual readers from a variety of language profiles, across early childhood and adulthood. Our projects will shed light on the impact of critical factors (e.g., orthographic depth of scripts, auditory perception skills) on the bilingual reading networks. Our findings will provide implications for neuroscience-informed remediation of reading difficulties for bilingual readers.