The Laboratory for Speech Perception and Production exploits the concepts of self organizing dynamical systems, as a window into the organization of speech-motor and speech perceptual processes. Areas of particular interest include the coordination of speech gestures, learning the phonology of an unfamiliar language, and selected speech and language pathologies (for example, nonverbal learning disabled teenagers). Current work also includes extensions into brain activity patterns underlying well-understood normal and pathological speech behavior.

The laboratory is well-equipped with computational systems for speech synthesis and analysis, a multichannel electromagnetometer for monitoring articulator movements, and auditory and visual display of verbal material within a functional magnetic resonance imager. Experimenters enjoy close collaborations across laboratories, including The Laboratory for Theoretical Neurosciences.