Raphaël Py was awarded a 2021 ILCB PhD grant to conduct a project under the supervision of Marie Montant (LPC) and Marie-Hélène Grosbras (LNC). Raphaël was drawn to ILCB by its multiple research axes on brain and language. Raphaël worked for three years on the link between motor and language processes with Simon Thibault and Claudio Brozzoli (Impact, CRNL, Lyon) who will be a collaborator in the current project. In previous work, Raphaël showed how motor training with a tool and practicing syntactic skills can improve one another. Using functional MRI, he further identified the Basal Ganglia as a key node for this mutual influence, suggesting that these brain structures could participate in supporting a domain general syntax. In his PhD, he will try to go deeper by searching for markers of ontogenetic and phylogenetic development. Raphaël is excited to begin and will be happy to exchange with you about this topic!
