I have just begun my appointment as an Assistant Professor in Neurolinguistics at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. Previously, I was a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellow at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain, and Language (BCBL; advisor: Manuel Carreiras). Prior to that, I completed my doctoral studies in Psychology (Cognition and Perception) at New York University (NYU), where I worked with Alec Marantz and Liina Pylkkänen.

My main area of interest is language processing. Language typically presents itself to us as a linear stream (of text, of sounds, of signs), which we are able to convert into complex mental objects. One analogy I like to use is weaving, such as in tatreez—the traditional art of Palestinian embroidery, called tatreez. To weave a beautiful piece of tatreez, we start with spools of linear thread, which our hands weave into stitches (low-level structures), motifs (medium-level structures), and a tapestry (high-level structures). These structures are not woven sequentially: we do not weave a collection of stitches, only to then shape them into a motif. Rather, we weave the tapestry, the motif, and the stitch simultaneously.

I like to think of language comprehension in a similar way: our brains and minds weave the language stream into word-level structures, sentence-level structures, and discourse-level structures. In my work, I ask how our brains and minds achieve this remarkable feat. Want to know more? Find out here.

My work uses a two-pronged approached to investigate language processing: (i) complementary methods of recording neural activity, including electrophysiological recordings using electro- and magnetoencephalography (EEG and MEG, respectively), neuroimaging (fMRI), and behavioral studies, and (ii) experimental designs that capitalize on grammatical properties of understudied languages (such as Arabic).

If you would like to collaborate, or if you are a prospective student interested in working with me, do get in touch.

As a Palestinian who grew up in Haifa, I have always been surrounded by a mélange of many languages and dialects. I believe this exposure piqued my curiosity about the faculty of language from an early age. I am fluent in four languages (Arabic, English, Spanish, and Hebrew) and am an enthusiastic language learner.

Apart from sciencing, another major area of interest of mine involves language from a different angle: literature. I am an avid reader and a published author. I am a co-winner of the A. M. Qattan Foundation’s 2012 Young Palestinian Writer award for my collection of short stories “North of Andalusia, West of the Homeland” (original in Arabic: شمال الأندلس، غرب الوطن). I am also involved in a number of playwriting projects and have two very poorly-maintained blogs: one for odds and ends and some translations, and another where I make up new words in Arabic for fun.

I also enjoy cooking, baking, and choral singing. Most recently, I was a tenor in Donostia–San Sebastián’s Itxaso ensemble [2023]. Previously I was a tenor in the NYU Chorale [’19–’20], the NYU University Singers [NYU; ‘16–‘17], and the Ramallah-based Zaridash ensemble [‘13–‘16].