Amelia Lebron Rose Hills
Sulcal Markers of Language Processing and Recovery After Stroke
This project investigates how the structure of the brain supports language processing and recovery after stroke-induced aphasia, a language disorder affecting over 200,000 Americans each year. Specifically, we examine whether sulci—folds in the brain’s surface—on the right side of the brain can help compensate for damage to the left hemisphere, which typically controls language. We focus on tertiary sulci, small and variable folds that are often missed by automated brain-mapping tools but are linked to higher-order thinking. Using MRI and cognitive data from healthy young and older adults, as well as stroke patients with aphasia, we manually label these sulci in the lateral prefrontal cortex and analyze their relationship to language performance. Our goal is to determine whether differences in right-hemisphere structure relate to better language recovery. This research could advance our understanding of brain-language relationships and inform personalized treatment strategies for aphasia.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you for generously supporting my summer research project. I have always been interested in the workings of the brain, and now I'm excited to study them more profoundly, specifically how the right hemisphere may contribute to recovery after left-hemisphere damage in aphasia. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to explore these questions—and for your belief in both the potential of this project and my growth as a researcher.