Dr Alejandro Perez
About
Biography
I am a researcher dedicated to studying interpersonal synchrony in social interactions. In 2023, I began working as a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey School of Psychology, where I am a part of the Brain & Behavior group, under the guidance of Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh. Prior to this, I was a Marie Curie Fellow at the MRC-Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge, where I worked from 2019 to 2022. During my time there, I conducted extensive research into the cognitive neuroscience of verbal communication, further developing my skills in EEG hyperscanning. Before my time at Cambridge, I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto from 2017 to 2019. During my time there at the Department of Psychology and the Department of Language Studies, I honed my expertise in neurolinguistics and speech analysis and collaborated with leading researchers in the CAP Lab. From 2010 to 2017, I worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language in Spain, where I focused on researching language, cognition and gender, Dravet syndrome and multilingualism. Prior to this, I served as an Academic Researcher at Diego Portales University in Chile from 2009 to 2010, where I directed the Cognitive & Social Neuroscience Laboratory. My journey in the field of psychology began at the Cuban Neuroscience Center, where I completed my PhD from 2001 to 2008 while also working part-time as a clinical psychologist in a general hospital. It was here that I discovered my passion for research and began my lifelong pursuit of understanding the complex workings of the human mind.
ResearchResearch interests
My work is focused on exploring the complexities of interpersonal communication and interaction, with a particular emphasis on verbal communication and joint action. My research interests include EEG hyperscanning, interbrain synchronization, natural language/speech processing, and the study of neural mechanisms that underlie social cognition.
Through my research, I have developed a strong interest in interbrain synchronization and its role in social interaction. By analysing patterns of neural synchrony between individuals, we can gain a deeper understanding of how people establish and maintain social connections, as well as the cognitive and affective processes that contribute to successful communication.
One of my primary areas of interest is the use of EEG hyperscanning to investigate the neural processes underlying interpersonal interactions. This technique allows us to simultaneously record brain activity from two or more people engaged in a conversation or joint action, providing unique insights into the neural mechanisms that facilitate effective communication and coordination.
Ultimately, my goal as a researcher is to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between neural mechanisms, verbal communication, and social interaction. By shedding light on the cognitive and affective processes that underlie effective interpersonal communication, my work has the potential to inform the development of new interventions and therapies for individuals with communication and social deficits.
Research projects
System for measuring and manipulating language-based social interactions using EEG hyperscanning, neurofeedback and closed-loop brain stimulation.Bial Foundation Grant 267/22 with Tecnalia Innovation and Research (2023-2025).
Role: PI.
Research interests
My work is focused on exploring the complexities of interpersonal communication and interaction, with a particular emphasis on verbal communication and joint action. My research interests include EEG hyperscanning, interbrain synchronization, natural language/speech processing, and the study of neural mechanisms that underlie social cognition.
Through my research, I have developed a strong interest in interbrain synchronization and its role in social interaction. By analysing patterns of neural synchrony between individuals, we can gain a deeper understanding of how people establish and maintain social connections, as well as the cognitive and affective processes that contribute to successful communication.
One of my primary areas of interest is the use of EEG hyperscanning to investigate the neural processes underlying interpersonal interactions. This technique allows us to simultaneously record brain activity from two or more people engaged in a conversation or joint action, providing unique insights into the neural mechanisms that facilitate effective communication and coordination.
Ultimately, my goal as a researcher is to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between neural mechanisms, verbal communication, and social interaction. By shedding light on the cognitive and affective processes that underlie effective interpersonal communication, my work has the potential to inform the development of new interventions and therapies for individuals with communication and social deficits.
Research projects
Bial Foundation Grant 267/22 with Tecnalia Innovation and Research (2023-2025).
Role: PI.
Teaching
Publications
Highlights
Pérez, A; Davis, MH (2023) Speaking and listening to inter-brain relationships. Cortex, doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.12.002
Pérez, A; Davis, MH (2022) Using earables platforms to study verbal communication. Introducing earables to psycholinguistic research. In Proceedings of the 2022 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp/ISWC ’22 Adjunct), September 11-15, 2022, Cambridge, United Kingdom. doi:10.1145/3544793.3563414 (link)
Pérez, A; Davis, MH; Ince, RAA, Zhang, H; Fu, Z; Lamarca, M; Lambon Ralph, MA; Monahan, PJ (2022) Timing of brain entrainment to the speech envelope during speaking, listening and self-listening. Cognition, doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105051
Monahan, PJ; Schertz, J; Fu, Z; Pérez, A (2022) Unified Coding of Spectral and Temporal Phonetic Cues: Electrophysiological Evidence for Abstract Phonological Features. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, doi:10.1162/jocn_a_01817
Pérez, A; Monahan, PJ; Lambon Ralph, MA (2021) Joint recording of EEG and audio signals in hyperscanning and pseudo-hyperscanning experiments. MethodsX, 8, 101347. doi:10.1016/j.mex.2021.101347
Barraza, P; Pérez, A; Rodríguez, E (2020) Brain-to-Brain Coupling in the Gamma-Band as a Marker of Shared Intentionality. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14:295. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2020.00295
Liu, H; Zhang, M; Pérez, A; Xie, N; Li, B; Liu, Q (2019) Role of language control during interbrain phase synchronization of cross-language communication. Neuropsychologia, 131, 316-324. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.05.014
García-Pentón, L; Fernández, Y; Duñabeitia, JA; Pérez, A; Carreiras, M (2019) Neuroanatomical Correlates in Bilinguals: The Case of Children and Elderly. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/586768
Pérez, A & Duñabeitia, JA (2019) Speech perception in bilingual contexts: neuropsychological impact of mixing languages at the inter-sentential level. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 51, 258-267. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroling.2019.04.002
Barraza, P; Dumas, G; Liu, H; Blanco-Gomez, G; van den Heuvel, MI; Baart, M; Pérez, A (2019) Implementing EEG hyperscanning setups. MethodsX, 6, 428-436. doi:10.1016/j.mex.2019.02.021
Pérez, A; Dumas, G; Karadag, M; Duñabeitia, JA (2019) Differential brain-to-brain entrainment while speaking and listening in native and foreign languages. Cortex, 111, 303-315. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.026
Li, B; Liu, H; Pérez, A; Xie, N (2018) Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves language control during language switching. Behavioural Brain Research, 351, 34-41. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.026
Martin, C; Niziolek, CA; Duñabeitia, JA; Pérez, A; Hernandez, D; Carreiras, M; Houde, JF (2018) Online Adaptation to Altered Auditory Feedback Is Predicted by Auditory Acuity and Not by Domain-General Executive Control Resources. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12:91. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00091
Pérez, A; Carreiras, M; Duñabeitia, JA (2017) Brain-to-brain entrainment: EEG interbrain synchronization while speaking and listening. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 4190. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-04464-4
Pérez, A; Carreiras, M; Gillon Dowens, M; Duñabeitia, JA (2015) Differential oscillatory encoding of foreign speech. Brain & Language, 147, 51-57. doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2015.05.008
Casaponsa, A; Antón, E; Pérez, A; Duñabeitia, JA (2015) Foreign language comprehension achievement: insights from the cognate facilitation effect. Frontiers in Psychology, 6:588. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00588
Acha, J; Pérez, A; Davidson, DJ; Carreiras, M (2015) Cognitive characterization of children with Dravet syndrome: A neurodevelopmental perspective. Child Neuropsychology, 21:5, 693-715, doi:10.1080/09297049.2014.959480
Pérez, A; Gillon Dowens, M; Molinaro, N; Iturria-Medina, Y; Barraza, P; García-Pentón, L; Carreiras, M (2015) Complex brain network properties in late L2 learners and native speakers. Neuropsychologia, 68, 209-217. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.021
García-Pentón, L; Pérez, A; Iturria-Medina, Y; Gillon-Dowens, M; Carreiras, M (2014). Anatomical Connectivity Changes in the Bilingual Brain. NeuroImage, 84: 495-504. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.08.064
Pérez, A; García-Pentón, L; Canales-Rodríguez, EJ; Lerma-Usabiaga, G; Iturria-Medina, Y; Román, FJ; Davidson, DJ; Alemán-Gómez, Y; Acha, J; Carreiras, M (2014) Brain morphometry of Dravet Syndrome. Epilepsy Research, 108, 1326-1334. doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2014.06.006
Monsalve, IF; Pérez, A; Molinaro, N (2014) Item parameters dissociate between expectation formats: A regression analysis of time-frequency decomposed EEG data. Frontiers in Psychology, 5:847. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00847
Molinaro, N; Barber, HA; Pérez, A; Parkkonen, L; Carreiras, M (2013) Left fronto-temporal dynamics during agreement processing: Evidence for feature-specific computations. Neuroimage, 78, 339-352. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.04.025
Pérez, A; Molinaro, N; Mancini, S; Barraza, P; Carreiras, M (2012) Oscillatory dynamics related to the Unagreement pattern in Spanish. Neuropsychologia, 50(11), 2584-2597. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.07.009
Iturria-Medina, Y; Pérez, A; Morris, DM, Canales, EJ; Haroon HA, García-Pentón, L; Augath, M; Galán, L; Logothetis, N; Parker, GJ; Melie, L (2011) Brain Hemispheric Structural Efficiency and Interconnectivity Rightward Asymmetry in Human and Nonhuman Primates. Cerebral Cortex, 21(1), 56-67. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhq058
Iturria-Medina, Y; Pérez, A; Valdés, P; García-Pentón, L; Canales-Rodríguez, EJ; Melie, L; Lage, A; Ontivero, M (2011) Automated Discrimination of Brain Pathological State Attending to Complex Structural Brain Network Properties: the Shiverer Mutant Mouse Case. PLoS ONE, 6(5): e19071. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019071
Pérez, A; García-Pentón, L; Valdés-Sosa, M; Jaśkowski, P (2011) Influence of the learnt direction of reading on temporal order judgments. Psychology, vol.2, No.2, 103-108. doi:10.4236/psych.2011.22017
García-Pentón, L; Pérez, A; Bobes, MA; Acosta, Y; Galán L; Iturria-Medina, Y; Leh, SE; Valdés-Sosa, M (2010) Neural activation while perceiving biological motion in dynamic facial expressions and point-light body action animations. Neural Regeneration Research. 5 (14), 1076-1083. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2010.14.007
Pérez, A; Peers, PV; Valdés-Sosa, M; Galán, L; García-Pentón, L; Martínez-Montes, E (2009) Hemispheric modulations of alpha-band power reflect the rightward shift in attention induced by enhanced attentional load. Neuropsychologia, 47, 41-49. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.08.017
Pérez, A; García-Pentón, L; Lage, A; Leh, SE; Valdés-Sosa, M (2008) Right impairment of temporal order judgments in dyslexic children. Laterality. Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 13, 545-560. doi:10.1080/13576500802095790
Pérez, A; García-Pentón, L; Valdés-Sosa, M (2008) Rightward shift in temporal order judgments in the wake of the attentional blink. Psicológica. International Journal of Methodology and Experimental Psychology, 29, 35-55. (pdf)
Valdés-Sosa, M; Bobes, MA; Rodríguez, V; Acosta, Y; Pérez, A; Iglesias, J & Borrego, M (2004) The influence of scene organization on attention: Psychophysics and electrophysiology. In Kanwisher, N & Duncan, J (Eds.), Functional Neuroimaging of Visual Cognition. Attention and Performance XX (pp. 321-344). Oxford: Oxford University Press. (pdf)