Baltimore MD 21218-2685, USA
Email: banchi@cogsci.jhu.edu
Office: Krieger 155
Office telephone: (410) 516-5124
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Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, expected August 2008, Johns Hopkins University |
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M.A. in Cognitive Science, 2005, Johns Hopkins University |
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B.S. in Biology, 2002 (with Honors), Pennsylvania State University |
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B.S. in Psychology, 2002 (with Honors), Pennsylvania State University |
Language & Vision Interaction:
I am interested in understanding the interplay between language and vision. Specifically, in my main line of research, I use a developmental experimental approach to better understand how visual computations/representations and linguistic knowledge interact - this addresses a question initially posed by J. McNamara (1978) "How do we talk about what we see?" In several ongoing experiments I explore the interface between vision and language. I investigate whether language can help maintain the conjunction of different visual features in visual short-term memory.
My primary advisor is Professor Barbara Landau (Language and Cognition Lab) .
The first part of this work is published in Psychological Science (2008).
Reading and Spelling ability of people with Williams Syndrome:
My second project looks at the written language abilities of people with Williams Syndrome. Williams Syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder resulting from a microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23 (to learn more about WS, click here). WS individuals are usually characterized as having relatively spared language abilities and impaired visual-spatial abilities. We examine what happens when these two systems interact in the acquisition of written language, which requires the integration of linguistic knowledge with visual-spatial skills.
My advisor on this project is Professor Brenda Rapp (and also Professor Barbara Landau ).
I am currently writing this project for publication.
Reorientation in people with Williams Syndrome:
Dr. Lakusta, Dr.Landau and I are also investigating navigation in people with Williams Syndrome.
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National Institute of Health, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, 2007-2009 |
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National Science Foundation, Integrative Graduate Education & Research Training Fellowship, 2003-2006 |
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Bunton Waller Undergraduate Fellowship (Full Academic Scholarship), 1998-2002 |
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Dessalegn, B., & Landau, B. (2008). More than meets the eye: the role of language in binding and maintaing feature conjunctions. Psychological Science. |
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Landau, B., Dessalegn, B., Goldberg, A. (in press). Language and Space: Momentary Interactions. In P. Chilton and V. Evans (Eds.), Language, cognition and space: The state of the art and new directions. Advances in Cognitive Linguistics Series (Ed, V. Evans, B. Bergen, J. Zinken). London: Equinox Publishing. |
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Dessalegn, B., Rapp, B., & Landau, B. (manuscript under preparation). Written language abilities of people with Williams Syndrome. |
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Lakusta, L., Dessalegn, B., & Landau, L. (in progress). A role for language in reorientation? Evidence from Williams Syndrome. |
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Kazmerski, V., Blasko, D., & Dessalegn, B. (2003). ERP and Behavioral Evidence of Individual Differences in Metaphor Comprehension. Memory & Cognition, 5, 673-89. |
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Dessalegn, B.(2002). The Effect of Topic-Vehicle Semantic Overlap on Metaphor Processing. Penn State Behrend Psychology Journal, 7 (1). |
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Dessalegn, B., Farantzos, A., Stevenson, M., & Walsh, M. (2001). Time Perspective among Ethiopian and Greek Biculturals. Penn State Behrend Psychology Journal, 5 (1), 3-10. |
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Dessalegn, B & Landau, L. (2007). Language and Vision: Interaction between two systems. Poster presented at the 29th Annual meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Nashville, TN. |
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Dessalegn, B. Rapp, B., & Landau, B (2006). Reading deficits in people with Williams syndrome. Poster presented at the 25th Rodin Remediation Academy Conference, Washington, DC. |
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Dessalegn, B. & Landau, B. (2006). Forming a stable spatial representation. Paper presented at the 4th Biennial meeting of International Conference of Spatial cognition, Rome, Italy. |
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Lakusta, L., Dessalegn, B., & Landau, B.(2006). Navigation in Williams syndrome: Successes and failures. The 11th annual Professional Conference on Williams Syndrome, Richmond, VA. |
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Landau, B., & Dessalegn, B. (2006). Vision & Language. Paper Presented in a symposium on "Interfaces Between Vision and Language - The Problem and New Perspectives" at the 2006 meeting of the Vision Science Society, Sarasota, FL. |
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Landau, B., & Dessalegn, B. (2006). Space & Language. Paper presented at the 27th Annual meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Stresa, Italy. |
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Dessalegn, B., Rapp, B., & Landau, B (2006). Reading and Spelling deficits in people with Williams syndrome: Investigating the underlying deficits. Paper presented at the The 3rd Williams Syndrome Workshop, Reading, UK. |
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Dessalegn, B. & Landau, B. (2005). Relational language binds visual-spatial representations. Paper presented at the 4th Biennial meeting of Cognitive Development Society, San Diego, CA. |
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Dessalegn, B. & Landau, B. (2005). Relational Language Helps Children Bind Visual Properties of Objects. Poster session presented at the 17th annual meeting of American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA. |
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Dessalegn, B., Kazmerski, V., & Blasko, D. (2002). Semantic relatedness and metaphor comprehension. Poster session presented at the 42nd annual meeting of Society for Psychophysiological Research, Washington, DC. |
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Ethiopian Society of Sociologists, Social Workers, and Anthropologists. Family, Children, and Old Age in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2007). |
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Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins All-University Seminar On Africa (HAUSA). Baltimore, MD (2005). |
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People to People. NeuroAIDS: Effects of HIV/AIDS on the Human Brain. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2002). |
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United Nation. World Summit on Sustainable Development. Johannesburg, South Africa (2001). |
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The 2006 John Merck Fund Summer Institute on the Biology of Developmental Disabilities, Princeton University. |
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Fourth Annual Undergraduate Summer Workshop in Cognitive Science and Cognitive Neuroscience, 2001, University of Pennsylvania. |
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World of Language (Dr. Géraldine Legendre), Spring 2004 |
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Language and Mind (Dr. Bill Badecker), Fall 2004 |
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World of Language (Dr. Géraldine Legendre), Spring 2005 |
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Nature, Nurture, & Cognition (Dr. Barbara Landau), Fall 2005 |
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Cognitive Development (Dr. Barbara Landau), Fall 2005 |
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Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (Dr. Barbara Landau), Spring 2006 |
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Cognitive Neuropsychology of Visual Perception (Dr. Mike McCloskey), Spring 2007 |
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Learning Theory, Spring 2007 |
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Special Topics in Cognitive Development, Fall 2006 |
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Cognitive Science and Philosophy, Fall 2006 |
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Advanced Vision Seminar, Spring 2006 |
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Foundations of Cognitive Science A, Spring 2006 |
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Written Language, Spring 2006 |
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Advanced Vision Seminar, Fall 2005 |
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Sensation & Perception, Fall 2005 |
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Formal Methods: Neural Nets, Fall 2005 |
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Normal and Abnormal Development of Written Language, Spring 2005 |
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Philosophy of Language, Spring 2005 |
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Classic Papers in Language Learning, Spring 2005 |
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Advanced Statistical Methods II, Spring 2005 |
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Phonology, Fall 2004 |
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Language and Thought, Fall 2004 |
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Advanced Statistical Methods I, Fall 2004 |
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Foundations of Cognitive Science B, Spring 2004 |
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Cognitive Neuropsychology of Visual Perception, Spring 2004 |
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Syntax I, Spring 2004 |
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Visual Basic Programming for Cognitive Science Students, Fall 2003 |
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Bilinguality, Fall 2003 |
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Formal Methods in Cognitive Science: Language, Fall 2003 |