Michel Belyk, Ph.D.

I seek to understand the neural adaptations that make humans able to speak, with a particular focus on the neural control of the voice. Using a comparative approach, I study the neural systems for speech and language, how they develop in the human brain, the communicative behaviours that they enable, their underlying genetic mechanisms, and how they may contribute to disorders of speech.

I address these questions using a variety of methodologies including acoustical analysis and auditory playback studies, functional and structural MRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation, meta-analysis and secondary data analysis of large cohort studies.

The human voice is the primary sound source for speech, song, and the expression of emotions, so yes I’m open to interdisciplinary collaborations.