Lab mission & focus
At the Language and Genetics Department, we aim to uncover the DNA variations which ultimately affect different facets of our communicative abilities, not only in children with language-related disorders but also in the general population.
We hope to trace the evolutionary history and worldwide diversity of key genes, which may shed new light on language origins. Our research aims to bridge the gaps between genes, brains, speech, and language. We use the latest molecular technologies and analytic methods to integrate molecular genetics with cell biology, human neuroimaging, and experimental psychology. Our research themes include identifying genes that are important for the development of speech, language, reading, and social communication, and using those genes as windows into the key neural pathways. The department’s work also explores how genes may help to explain both the evolution and variability of human language. We foster and rely on close-knit multidisciplinary collaborations with the other expert groups at the MPI, leading researchers at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Human Genetics Department of Radboud University, as well as networks of international collaborators.