Angela D. Friederici
Encyclopedia
Angela Friederici is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
in Leipzig, Germany, and is an internationally recognized expert in neuropsychology
and linguistics
. She is the author of over 360 academic articles and book chapters, and has edited 15 books on linguistics, neuroscience
, language and psychology
.
(Germany) and the University of Lausanne
(Switzerland), graduating with Ph.D. in linguistics in 1976. In 1975 she also began studying psychology at the University of Bonn and graduated with a degree in psychology (German: Dipl.-Psych.) in 1980. In 1986 she completed her professorial degree (Habilitation
) at the University of Giessen
.
After a post-doctoral scholarship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, and work as a research fellow in the Netherlands and France, Angela Friederici was awarded a professorship in cognitive psychology
by the Free University of Berlin
in 1989. In 1994 she became a Founding Director and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in Leipzig, which became the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in 2004.
Angela Friederici also holds honorary professorships (Honorarprofessor
) from the University of Leipzig
(since 1995) for cognitive psychology
, the University of Potsdam
in the Faculty of Philosophy
(since 1997) and the Charité
, Humboldt-University Berlin (since 2004).
Professor Friederici’s research centres on how the human brain processes language, examining both first and second language acquisition
and use. She was the first to report the early left anterior negativity
(ELAN), an EEG
response to syntactic violations in sentences.
In Editorial or Scientific Advisory Boards of the Following Journals
Brain and Cognition (Action Editor), Brain and Language, Cognitive Neuroscience (Action Editor), Cognitive Science Quarterly, Gehirn & Geist, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Journal of Memory and Language, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Neurolinguistik, Physiological Reviews, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics, The Mental Lexicon, Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Expert Activities for the Following Scientific Organizations (since 2004)
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Stiftung, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK), Canadian Institute of Health Research (Canada), Centre for Advanced Study (Norway), German Academic Exchange Service, German National Academic Foundation, European Brain Council, European Research Council, Fondation Recherche Médicale (France), Fondazione Pierfranco e Luisa Mariani Onlus (Italy), German Research Foundation, Helmholtz Foundation, Institute for Advanced Study Berlin, Max Planck Society, Medical Research Council (UK), National Science Foundation (USA), Research Centre Juelich, Swiss National Science Foundation, Tel-Aviv University (Israel), University of California (USA), University Hospital of Zurich, University of Maryland (USA), University of Washington (USA)
1990
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
of the German Research Foundation 1997
• University of Mainz endowed professor (Johannes Gutenberg-Stiftungsprofessur) 2010
• Maess, B., Koelsch, S., Gunter, T.C. & Friederici A.D. (2001). Musical syntax is processed in Broca's area: An MEG study. Nature Neuroscience, 4 540-545.
• Friederici, A.D. (2002). Towards a neural basis of auditory sentence processing. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 6, 78-84.
• Friederici, A.D., Steinhauer, K. & Pfeifer, E. (2002). Brain signatures of artificial language processing: Evidence challenging the critical period hypothesis. PNAS, 99, 529-534.
• Opitz, B. & Friederici, A.D. (2004). Brain correlates of language learning: The neuronal dissociation of rule-based versus similarity-based learning. The Journal of Neuroscience, 24 8436-8440.
• Friederici, A.D., Bahlmann, J., Heim, S., Schubotz, R.I. & Anwander, A. (2006). The brain differentiates human and non-human grammars: Functional localization and structural connectivity. PNAS, 103, 2458-2463.
• Friederici, A.D., Fiebach, C.J., Schlesewsky, M., Bornkessel, I. & von Cramon, D.Y. (2006). Processing linguistic complexity and grammaticality in the left frontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 16, 1709-1717.
• Friederici, A.D., von Cramon, D.Y. & Kotz, S.A. (2007). Role of the corpus callosum in speech comprehension: Interfacing syntax and prosody. Neuron, 53, 135-145.
• Makuuchi, M., Bahlmann, J., Anwander, A. & Friederici, A.D. (2009). Segregating the core computational faculty of human language from working memory. PNAS, 106, 8362-8367.
• Friederici, A.D., Kotz, S.A., Scott, S.K. & Obleser, J. (2010). Disentangling syntax and intelligibility in auditory language comprehension. Human Brain Mapping, 31, 448-457.
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
The Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences is located Leipzig, Germany. The institute was founded in 2004 by a merger between the former Max Planck Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich...
in Leipzig, Germany, and is an internationally recognized expert in neuropsychology
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and behaviors. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells in...
and linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. She is the author of over 360 academic articles and book chapters, and has edited 15 books on linguistics, neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, language and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
.
Academic Career and Achievements
From 1970 to 1976 Angela Friederici studied linguistics at the University of BonnUniversity of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
(Germany) and the University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
(Switzerland), graduating with Ph.D. in linguistics in 1976. In 1975 she also began studying psychology at the University of Bonn and graduated with a degree in psychology (German: Dipl.-Psych.) in 1980. In 1986 she completed her professorial degree (Habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
) at the University of Giessen
University of Giessen
The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...
.
After a post-doctoral scholarship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, and work as a research fellow in the Netherlands and France, Angela Friederici was awarded a professorship in cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is a subdiscipline of psychology exploring internal mental processes.It is the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.Cognitive psychology differs from previous psychological approaches in two key ways....
by the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
in 1989. In 1994 she became a Founding Director and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in Leipzig, which became the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in 2004.
Angela Friederici also holds honorary professorships (Honorarprofessor
Honorary title (academic)
Honorary titles in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties...
) from the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
(since 1995) for cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is a subdiscipline of psychology exploring internal mental processes.It is the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.Cognitive psychology differs from previous psychological approaches in two key ways....
, the University of Potsdam
University of Potsdam
The University of Potsdam is a German university, situated across four campuses in Potsdam, Brandenburg, including the New Palace of Sanssouci and the Park Babelsberg.- Profile :...
in the Faculty of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
(since 1997) and the Charité
Charité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
, Humboldt-University Berlin (since 2004).
Professor Friederici’s research centres on how the human brain processes language, examining both first and second language acquisition
Second language acquisition
Second-language acquisition or second-language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the name of the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process...
and use. She was the first to report the early left anterior negativity
Early left anterior negativity
The early left anterior negativity is an event-related potential in electroencephalography , or component of brain activity that occurs in response to a certain kind of stimulus...
(ELAN), an EEG
EEG
EEG commonly refers to electroencephalography, a measurement of the electrical activity of the brain.EEG may also refer to:* Emperor Entertainment Group, a Hong Kong-based entertainment company...
response to syntactic violations in sentences.
Memberships
Academia Europaea, Academy of Aphasia, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurotraumatologie und Klinische Neuropsychologie, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, European Brain Council, European Neuroscience Association, European Society of Cognitive Psychology, German Academy of Sciences 'Leopoldina', German Neuroscience Society, Gesellschaft für Kognitionswissenschaft, International Neuropsychological Society, International Neuro-psychological Symposium, Society for NeuroscienceIn Editorial or Scientific Advisory Boards of the Following Journals
Brain and Cognition (Action Editor), Brain and Language, Cognitive Neuroscience (Action Editor), Cognitive Science Quarterly, Gehirn & Geist, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Journal of Memory and Language, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Neurolinguistik, Physiological Reviews, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistics, The Mental Lexicon, Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Expert Activities for the Following Scientific Organizations (since 2004)
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Stiftung, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK), Canadian Institute of Health Research (Canada), Centre for Advanced Study (Norway), German Academic Exchange Service, German National Academic Foundation, European Brain Council, European Research Council, Fondation Recherche Médicale (France), Fondazione Pierfranco e Luisa Mariani Onlus (Italy), German Research Foundation, Helmholtz Foundation, Institute for Advanced Study Berlin, Max Planck Society, Medical Research Council (UK), National Science Foundation (USA), Research Centre Juelich, Swiss National Science Foundation, Tel-Aviv University (Israel), University of California (USA), University Hospital of Zurich, University of Maryland (USA), University of Washington (USA)
Awards
• Alfried Krupp Prize for Young Scientists of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach FoundationAlfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation
The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation is a major German philanthropic foundation, created by and named in honour of Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, former owner and head of the Krupp company, once the largest company in Europe....
1990
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is a research prize awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft every year since 1985 to scientists working in Germany. This highest German research prize consists of a research grant of 2.5 million euro, to be used within seven years...
of the German Research Foundation 1997
• University of Mainz endowed professor (Johannes Gutenberg-Stiftungsprofessur) 2010
Selected works
• Steinhauer, K., Alter, K. & Friederici, A.D. (1999). Brain potentials indicate immediate use of prosodic cues in natural speech processing. Nature Neuroscience, 2, 191-196.• Maess, B., Koelsch, S., Gunter, T.C. & Friederici A.D. (2001). Musical syntax is processed in Broca's area: An MEG study. Nature Neuroscience, 4 540-545.
• Friederici, A.D. (2002). Towards a neural basis of auditory sentence processing. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 6, 78-84.
• Friederici, A.D., Steinhauer, K. & Pfeifer, E. (2002). Brain signatures of artificial language processing: Evidence challenging the critical period hypothesis. PNAS, 99, 529-534.
• Opitz, B. & Friederici, A.D. (2004). Brain correlates of language learning: The neuronal dissociation of rule-based versus similarity-based learning. The Journal of Neuroscience, 24 8436-8440.
• Friederici, A.D., Bahlmann, J., Heim, S., Schubotz, R.I. & Anwander, A. (2006). The brain differentiates human and non-human grammars: Functional localization and structural connectivity. PNAS, 103, 2458-2463.
• Friederici, A.D., Fiebach, C.J., Schlesewsky, M., Bornkessel, I. & von Cramon, D.Y. (2006). Processing linguistic complexity and grammaticality in the left frontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 16, 1709-1717.
• Friederici, A.D., von Cramon, D.Y. & Kotz, S.A. (2007). Role of the corpus callosum in speech comprehension: Interfacing syntax and prosody. Neuron, 53, 135-145.
• Makuuchi, M., Bahlmann, J., Anwander, A. & Friederici, A.D. (2009). Segregating the core computational faculty of human language from working memory. PNAS, 106, 8362-8367.
• Friederici, A.D., Kotz, S.A., Scott, S.K. & Obleser, J. (2010). Disentangling syntax and intelligibility in auditory language comprehension. Human Brain Mapping, 31, 448-457.