Sara Sánchez-Alonso, PhD

Dr. Sanchez-Alonso's research focus is on human language. She is particularly interested in early childhood, an important period to establish foundational language skills, which are crucial for later language and educational achievements. Most language delays and disorders emerge during the first years of life and are diagnosed only in the absence of expected behavioral milestones. Although behavioral milestones in language acquisition have been extensively characterized, it is virtually unknown how language-related neural systems develop over time and how they may contribute to early diagnosis of developmental disorders.

Dr. Sanchez-Alonso's research program addresses this gap by investigating language-related neural and behavioral variation using complementary multi-modal neuroimaging techniques. Specifically, her work combines functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) –a more practical method for pediatric studies than fMRI– to map developmental neurobehavioral variation. The goal of Dr. Sanchez-Alonso's research is to inform typical and atypical development and advance paradigms for cross-age (infant-to-child) comparisons of language acquisition. Furthermore, her research aims to inform neural markers of language delays that can provide early detection and clinical intervention during key windows of neuroplasticity.

Specific research areas:

• Basic mechanisms in language neurodevelopment
  • How do core developmental patterns emerge during language learning
  • What is the impact of the social environment and maturational constraints on the learning process?

• Translation to neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Implementation of multi-modal neuroimaging techniques that are accessible for pediatric samples

• Predictive biomarker development
  • Leveraging large-scale development datasets with neuroimaging and behavioral data to examine neurobehavioral variation across development as it relates to language skills