Marc Joanisse’s work examines the neurobiological bases of human language, focusing on the role of individual differences in biology and environment in language and reading ability and disabilities. His research follows two principal themes: uncovering the cognitive precursors of reading and language disorders in children; and examining the role of experience in bilingualism and second-language learning. Members of his laboratory use a range of techniques to address these issues, including eyetracking, (f)MRI and EEG studies, across a range of child and adult populations. His research also uses computational models of language to understand the effects of language experience on the discovery of complex knowledge, and how this type of knowledge is affected by sensory impairments and acute brain damage.