Liberal Arts and Sciences
Rossi Lab
Led by Eleonora Rossi · Linguistics
What we study
The Rossi Lab, part of UF's Brain, Language and Bilingualism Laboratory, studies how bilingualism shapes the mind and brain, especially brain changes in the earliest stages of learning a new language, using behavioral experiments and EEG.
What working here is like
- Computational
- Wet lab
- Surveys & interviews
- Clinical
- Human participants
- Coding required
- Projects
- 6
- Papers
- 5
What we're looking for
“If you are an undergraduate interested in this type of research, please feel free to reach out to learn more about how you can make research in BLaB part of your UF experience.”
Current projects
Project Analyzing Changes in Voice-Onset-Time during Short-Term L2 Learning in Aging
The lab studies how older adults' speech changes when they start learning Spanish. Seven English-speaking older adults used a language app for 36 days while a control group watched science videos, and their English consonant timing was compared before and after.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 598
The Effect of Working Memory on Error Processing in Second Language Learners of English: an EEG study
This study looks at how working memory affects how Chinese‑English bilinguals notice mistakes in English sentences. Students will help run EEG recordings and analyze brain signals while participants read sentences with errors.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 483
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Identifying neurophysiological correlates of opaque and transparent word-processing in monolingual English speakers
The lab studies how the brain processes words that are hard to predict, like "knight", versus easy words, like "cat", using EEG while students decide if a word is real or made up. Students will help collect and analyze the brain data.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 202
The Neural Bases of Theory of Mind; The Role of Bilingual Typology
About 30 Spanish‑English heritage bilingual adults will complete a belief‑reasoning task while their brain activity is recorded with EEG to compare responses on false‑belief versus true‑belief trials and relate them to language and cognitive abilities. Future analysis will examine inhibitory control, resting EEG, and social network factors.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 179
Measuring the Dynamic Impact of Personal Social Networks on Language Learning Outcomes
Students who are learning Spanish as a heritage language are surveyed about who they talk to and how often, then their language skills are tested at the start and end of a semester. The study checks whether the size and makeup of a person’s social circle predicts how well they learn, beyond individual ability.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 145
New Language Training to Measure and Promote Neurocognitive Resilience in Healthy Aging
The lab tests whether short‑term Spanish lessons improve memory and attention in older adults. The student ran pre‑ and post‑tests showing brain activity changes that suggest better cognitive function after training.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 135
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- A theory-driven approach to understanding individual differences in bilingualism and executive functioning: Beyond a general advantage.
2026 · Psychological Review
Builds a theory-driven model of bilingualism and executive functioning differences.
- Social bilingual language use is associated with neural efficiency in inhibitory control: Evidence from ERPs
2026 · Bilingualism Language and Cognition
Shows how bilingual language use affects neural efficiency in inhibitory control.
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- PKCδ neurons in the central amygdala mediate alcohol withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia in female Prkcd-Cre rats
2026 · Alcohol
- Individual differences matter in heritage language bilingual processing
2025 · Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Finds how heritage language experience affects gender agreement processing.
- Inhibitory Control Partially Mediates the Relationship between Metalinguistic Awareness and Perspective-Taking
2024 · Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Eleonora Rossi hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.