News
Decoding Words from Brain Signals – Frank Guenther’s Invited Talk in France
Frank Guenther recently participated in a workshop hosted by the Institute of Audition and supported by DIM C-BRAINS in Paris, France on September 18–19, 2025.
The workshop highlighted innovative approaches for decoding speech and auditory signals directly from brain activity. Dr. Guenther’s talk, “Experimental and theoretical perspectives on the neural representation of spoken words”, showcased the lab’s ongoing efforts to better understand how the brain produces and processes speech.
This international gathering brought together leading researchers to share the latest advances in brain–computer interfaces and neural decoding technology.
Frank (right) with Dr. Adeen Flinker (left) from NYU
Jackie Kim successfully defends her dissertation!
Congratulations to Guenther Lab member Dr. Jackie Kim for the successful defense of her dissertation, "BRAIN-BEHAVIOR CORRELATES OF SPEECH SEQUENCING AND STUTTERING LEVERAGING FUNCTIONAL MRI AND MACHINE LEARNING."
With all the ups and downs of data collection, this one is for the books! We're so proud of you, Jackie!
Haochen Wan successfully defends his dissertation!
Congratulations to Guenther Lab member Dr. Haochen Wan for the successful defense of his dissertation, "From phonemes to syllables: A multi-scale behavioral and modeling investigation of speech chunking."
We are so proud of you, Haochen!
Dr. Hilary Miller successfully defends her dissertation!
Congratulations to Guenther Lab member Dr. Hilary Miller for the successful defense of her dissertation, "Neural and Behavioral Predictors of Speech Motor Sequence Learning in Neurological Disorders."
Excellent work, Hilary!
Graduate student Haochen Wan presented at SfN conference this month.
On October 9, 2024, Haochen Wan presented their research at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The conference, held from October 5 – 9, is one of the largest gatherings of neuroscientists, bringing together experts from around the world to share the latest advances in neuroscience research.
Haochen’s poster, PSTR464.04, focused on sub-syllabic sequencing within the human speech system. Using functional neuroimaging and behavioral measures, the study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying various stages of speech production, aiming to differentiate the neural substrates associated with phonological working memory from those involved in motor programming.
Summer UROP project presented by Anita Keltcher.
Guenther lab undergraduate, Anita Keltcher '25, presented their summer UROP research project at the 27th Annual Research Symposium, October 18th, 2024. During the summer of 2024, Anita worked closely with postdoc Andrew Meier on this project investigating sensory feedback in the context of speech motor learning. Funding was provided by BU's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). UROP connects BU undergraduate students with funded, faculty-mentored research projects. The program is flexible, allowing research study in any academic area university-wide, for any full-time undergraduate student at BU. The Guenther Lab has been lucky to have Anita working with us since Spring 2023.
Please take a closer look at the poster here.
Hannah Indiviglio to receive Sargent Senior Award!
Guenther Lab undergraduate, Hannah Indiviglio '24, will be one of only two SLHS students to receive a Sargent Senior Award at graduation! The specific named award she will receive will be announced at the upcoming awards banquet.
We would like to congratulate Hannah on this award and thank her for her continued contribution to the research conducted in the Guenther Lab!
2023 Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium
The 2023 Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium, a regional conference aimed at bringing together speech motor control researchers in the Boston area and beyond, was held at Boston University on June 12th. The conference kicked off with a thought-provoking speech delivered by former Dean of Sargent College, Dr. Christopher Moore, followed by engaging roundtable discussions with invited speakers and special guests focused on career planning in speech motor control.
Two Guenther Lab PhD students, Jackie Kim and Latane Bullock, and one postdoctoral fellow, Hannah Rowe, presented their work at the symposium. Jackie presented her work entitled, "Increased Local Gyrification Associated with Increased Autism Severity," which highlighted the structural brain differences underlying autism spectrum disorders. Latane presented his work entitled, "Basal Ganglia Intracranial Local Field Potential Beta and Gamma Dynamics During Speech Production," which delved into the intricate workings of the basal ganglia and its role in speech production. Lastly, Hannah presented her work entitled, "Preliminary Evidence for Motor- and Planning-Based Subtypes of Stuttering Based on Resting State Functional Connectivity Abnormalities," which provided evidence for potential subtypes of stuttering and the importance of personalized treatment approaches.
A major highlight of the symposium was the keynote presentation by Dr. Edward Chang, MD, a respected neurosurgeon from the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Chang's talk focused on the latest developments from his lab, shedding light on our evolving understanding of the speech cortex. His presentation sparked thought-provoking discussions and opened new avenues for future research.
As the symposium concluded, attendees left with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of speech motor control research. The knowledge gained and connections made at the conference will undoubtedly serve as catalysts for future breakthroughs and collaborations in the field.
Podcast featuring Dr. Frank Guenther: Science Finally Has a Good Idea about Why We Stutter
Listen to this recently recorded podcast with Dr. Frank Guenther by Scientific American.
“Did you know you could use brain computer interfaces to restore speech?” Professor Guenther’s recent talk at the Hariri Institute at BU.
Please enjoy this YouTube video of Prof. Guenther's recent talk for the Hariri Institute at Boston University entitled "Did you know you could use brain computer interfaces to restore speech?" The talk was presented virtually on March 24, 2022.