Rebecca Marks

Areas of Expertise

• Language
• Reading
• Learning Disabilities (e.g. dyslexia, ADHD, etc.)
• Dual language learners
• Neurocognitive development
• Neuroimaging

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

• Developmental Health and Wellness

Biography

I study individual differences in children’s language, reading, and cognitive development. My work tries to answer one basic question: How does language development lay the foundation for learning to read? As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, I use behavioral and functional neuroimaging methods (fMRI and fNIRS) to examine word processing and reading development. Beginning in January 2025, my work at Purdue will investigate how neurocognitive mechanisms for reading vary across diverse youth, focusing on differences related to neurodiversity (i.e., dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, hemispherectomy), bilingual language background, and environmental context. I get particularly excited about how children process complex words like un+break+able, and how their sensitivity to units of meaning supports their reading development. The goal of this work is to inform research-based educational practices and improve reading outcomes for vulnerable learners.

Education

• Ph.D. 2021 University of Michigan
• M.S. 2017 University of Michigan
• B.A. 2013 Washington University in St. Louis