Bilingual Brain: Neural Basis of Language Learning

Dr. Arturo E. Hernandez serves as Professor of Psychology and Director of the Laboratory for the Neural Bases of Bilingualism at the University of Houston, where he has been a faculty member since 2003. His distinguished career began with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and Psychology from UC San Diego in 1996, followed by post-doctoral work with Marta Kutas in neuroimaging methods. His research focuses on the neural underpinnings of bilingual language processing and second language acquisition, combining behavioral and neuroimaging techniques to understand how the brain processes multiple languages. His work has garnered significant attention with over 660 citations for his groundbreaking studies on language switching in Spanish-English bilinguals. His personal experience with multilingualism, including simultaneous acquisition of Spanish and English as a child, later mastery of Portuguese in Brazil, and German studies in adulthood, enriches his research perspective. His contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, enabling research visits to leading institutions in Germany. As Director of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience graduate program, he continues to advance our understanding of bilingual brain function while mentoring the next generation of researchers