Kelly J. Hiersche

I am a Postdoctoral Associate at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, working with Dr. Evelina Fedorenko. My research focuses on understanding the neural representation of language in development, healthy individuals, and adults with aphasia.

I completed my Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience at The Ohio State University, working with Dr. Zeynep Saygin. My dissertation focused on characterizing the development of functionally specific brain regions and individual variability of these regions. I have experience using functional MRI to look at cognitive processes in the fetal, infant, child, and adult brain. Prior to entering the world of psychology and cognitive neuroscience, I spent two years as a high school math teacher in Middlesboro, KY, aftering receiving my B.S. in Physics from Adelphi University.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching/playing soccer, knitting/crocheting, and reading. Please reach out if you want to talk science, soccer, or anything else!