Keynote Speakers

Distinguished experts sharing groundbreaking research in phonetic sciences

Prof. Patricia Kuhl

University of Washington, USA

Opening Keynote Speaker

"The Future of Phonetic Research"

Wednesday, August 17 • 9:30 AM

Patricia Kuhl is Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences and co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on early language acquisition and the neural mechanisms that underlie speech perception in infants and children. She has pioneered techniques for studying infant speech perception and has discovered fundamental principles governing early phonetic learning.

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Infant Speech Perception Neural Development Language Acquisition

Prof. John Ohala

University of California, Berkeley, USA

Keynote Speaker

"Phonetics in the Digital Age"

Thursday, August 18 • 9:00 AM

John Ohala is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at UC Berkeley. A pioneer in acoustic phonetics and phonological theory, his work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of sound change and phonetic universals. He is renowned for his contributions to understanding the aerodynamic and acoustic bases of speech sounds.

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Acoustic Phonetics Sound Change Phonetic Universals

Prof. Sophie Scott

University College London, UK

Keynote Speaker

"Neural Mechanisms of Speech Processing"

Friday, August 19 • 9:00 AM

Sophie Scott is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL. Her research uses neuroimaging techniques to understand how the brain processes speech and other vocal sounds. She has made significant contributions to our understanding of the neural basis of speech perception, production, and the processing of emotional vocalizations.

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Cognitive Neuroscience Brain Imaging Speech Processing

Prof. William Labov

University of Pennsylvania, USA

Keynote Speaker

"Phonetic Variation and Change"

Saturday, August 20 • 9:00 AM

William Labov is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania and is widely regarded as the founder of variationist sociolinguistics. His groundbreaking work has revealed the systematic nature of linguistic variation and change, particularly in phonetic and phonological systems.

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Sociolinguistics Language Variation Language Change

Prof. Catherine Best

Western Sydney University, Australia

Closing Keynote Speaker

"Phonetics for the Next Generation"

Sunday, August 21 • 9:00 AM

Catherine Best is Distinguished Professor at Western Sydney University and a leading expert in cross-language speech perception. Her Perceptual Assimilation Model has been influential in understanding how listeners perceive non-native speech sounds. Her work bridges developmental and cross-linguistic phonetics.

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Cross-Language Perception Perceptual Development Bilingualism

Workshop Leaders & Special Session Chairs

Praat Scripting Workshop

Dr. Paul Boersma
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Advanced techniques for automating phonetic analysis using Praat scripting language.

See Workshop Schedule

Ultrasound Imaging Workshop

Prof. Maureen Stone
University of Maryland, USA

Hands-on training in ultrasound tongue imaging for articulatory phonetics research.

Asian Languages Special Session

Prof. Zygmunt Frajzyngier
University of Colorado, USA

Chair of special sessions focusing on phonetic properties of Asian languages.

Clinical Applications Panel

Dr. Ray Kent
University of Wisconsin, USA

Panel discussion on applications of phonetic science in clinical settings.