CV

Current position

Computational Technical Expert, 2026 – present
Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN), University of Reading, UK

Education

DPhil (PhD) in Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK, Oct 2022 – Jul 2026
- Thesis: The corticocerebellar network in speech adaptation: evidence from non-invasive brain stimulation and brain imaging
- Supervisors: Prof. Kate E. Watkins and Prof. Heidi Johansen-Berg
- Funded by the Clarendon Scholarship, St John’s College
MSc in Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China, Sep 2019 – Jul 2022
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning
- Outstanding Graduate of Beijing Municipality
BSc in Psychology, Northeast Normal University, China, Sep 2015 – Jun 2019
- Ranked first in the department; NENU Medal
- Exchange student at Southern Illinois University, USA (2017 – 2018); Top 5% Student Award, Dean’s List

Research experience

DPhil research, University of Oxford (Oct 2022 – Jul 2026)

Neural mechanisms of sensorimotor control of speech

Designed and ran a preregistered brain stimulation study (90 participants) testing whether tDCS over motor cortex and cerebellum enhances speech adaptation. The published effect did not replicate; the result appeared in Cortex (2025) with open data and code.
Designed and led a behavioural study (76 participants) and a functional and structural MRI study (48 participants) on the cortical and cerebellar mechanisms of speech adaptation under altered auditory feedback; manuscripts in preparation.
Initiated and coordinated a two-site collaboration between the University of Oxford and Beijing Normal University, running matched behavioural and fMRI protocols in the UK and China.

Altered brain structure and function in people who stutter

Analysed a large neuroimaging dataset on developmental stuttering (~300 participants) using structural and resting-state fMRI; manuscript in preparation.
Built reusable, version-controlled analysis pipelines (FSL, SPM, MATLAB, Python) now used by others in the group.

Master’s research, Beijing Normal University (Sep 2019 – Jun 2022)

Role of the cerebellum in speech, language and reading

Examined the dissociation between language control and domain-general cognitive control within the cerebellum, combining an fMRI study (48 participants) with a tDCS study (72 participants) and effective-connectivity modelling of cerebello-cortical circuits.
Proposed the cerebro-cerebellar mapping hypothesis of the cerebellum’s contribution to reading, in a systematic review (Neuropsychologia, 2022).

Neurobiology of bilingualism

Mapped the cortical networks of bilingual language production across two fMRI studies (~50 participants each) using multivoxel pattern analysis and effective-connectivity network modelling.
Ran a preregistered EEG study (24 participants) on continuous neural tracking of speech in noise in bilinguals.
Co-developed an open database of ~3,000 Chinese characters and ~2,200 words from primary-school textbooks, a resource for developmental reading research.

Grants

International Collaboration Project Grant, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Jan 2025 – Oct 2025
- Research on EEG-fNIRS Multimodal Data Fusion Analysis Technology. GBP 48,000, awarded to the Oxford – Beijing Normal University partnership.
- Co-led the grant application; led the study projects.
Open Research Fund, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Jan 2024 – Jan 2026
- Simultaneously Using Brain Imaging and Event-related Brain Stimulation to Investigate Human Speech Motor Learning. Selected as a Key Project; CNY 150,000 (~GBP 20,000).
- Sole lead applicant; led the study projects.

Awards and scholarships

Collaboration Award, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford – for initiating and leading the Oxford – Beijing Normal University research collaboration
BNA Scholar, British Neuroscience Association (2024 – 2026) – one of six early-career neuroscientists selected across the UK
North Senior Scholarship, St John’s College, Oxford (2024 – 2025) – awarded to one graduate student in the Medical Sciences Division
Clarendon Scholarship, St John’s College, University of Oxford (2022 – 2025) – full DPhil scholarship
Selected participant, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory course on the Genetics and Neurobiology of Language, New York (2024) – supported by the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation and a BNA Exchange Award
Outstanding Graduate, Beijing Municipal Education Commission (2022)
National Graduate Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China (2021)
BNU Liyun First Prize Graduate Scholarship, Beijing Normal University (2021)
NENU Medal and Outstanding Graduate, Northeast Normal University (2019)
National Undergraduate Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China (2017)

Teaching and supervision

Supervised two undergraduate research projects using tDCS to investigate the role of primary motor cortex and cerebellum in speech adaptation and perception (2023 – 2024)
Advanced Practical Class Demonstrator, fMRI: Experimental Design & Analysis, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford (2023 – 2025)
Tutor in Psychology, Oxford Summer Courses with Lady Margaret Hall (2025)
Tutor in Behavioural Neuroscience, Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford (2024 – 2025)
Tutor in Cognition, St John’s College and St Anne’s College, University of Oxford (2023 – 2024)
Tutor in Experimental Design & Statistics, SIU Achieve Program, Southern Illinois University (2018)

Talks and conference presentations

Talks

Selected speaker, BNA International Festival of Neuroscience 2025, Liverpool, UK – Failure to replicate tDCS effects on speech adaptation
Public talk, Oxford Science and Ideas Festival: NeuroTales 2023, Oxford, UK – My journey in neuroscience research

Posters

FENS Forum 2026, Barcelona, Spain – Neural correlates of speech adaptation during altered auditory feedback
Society for the Neurobiology of Language 2025, Washington DC, USA – Neural mechanisms of speech adaptation during altered auditory feedback
Society for the Neurobiology of Language 2023, Marseille, France – Resting-state functional connectivity in adults who stutter

Peer review, leadership and public engagement

Peer reviewer for Neurobiology of Language, Brain & Language, Behavioural Brain Research and Acta Psychologica
Public Engagement Ambassador, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford (2022 – 2023)
President, Student Union, School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University (2017 – 2018)

Research skills

Experimental design: behavioural, EEG, MRI, brain stimulation
Neuroimaging analysis: task and resting-state fMRI, structural MRI, multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), effective-connectivity network modelling (euSEM, dynamic causal modelling), EEG (continuous neural tracking, ERPs)
Software and programming: MATLAB, Python, R, FSL, SPM
Open science: preregistration, code and data sharing

Publications

† Joint first authors.

2026

The corticocerebellar network in speech adaptation: evidence from non-invasive brain stimulation and brain imaging Yuan Q DPhil thesis, University of Oxford

2025

Functional parcellation between bilingual language control and cognitive control in the cerebellum Chen J†, Chang Q†, Yuan Q†, Ma F, Chen M, Koch CG, Guo T Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1554(1), 280–290
Failure to replicate enhancement of speech adaptation using tDCS over motor cortex and cerebellum Yuan Q, Lametti DR, Williams I, Zhu H, Watkins KE Cortex, 192, 152–164
Short-term language switching training reveals an adaptive cerebellar network for bilingual language control Chang Q, Ma F, Yuan Q, Chen M, Guo T Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1549(1), 274–287

2024

A large-scale database of Chinese characters and words collected from elementary school textbooks Zhang M, Liu Z, Botezatu MR, Dang Q, Yuan Q, Han J, Liu L, Guo T Behavior Research Methods, 56(5), 4732–4757

2023

Processing negative emotion in two languages of bilinguals: Accommodation and assimilation of the neural pathways based on a meta-analysis Dang Q, Ma F, Yuan Q, Fu Y, Chen K, Zhang Z, Lu C, Guo T Cerebral Cortex, 33(13), 8352–8367
The cerebellum and cognition: further evidence for its role in language control Yuan Q, Li H, Du B, Dang Q, Chang Q, Zhang Z, Zhang M, Ding G, Lu C, Guo T Cerebral Cortex, 33(1), 35–49

2022

Continuous speech tracking in bilinguals reflects adaptation to both language and noise Zinszer BD, Yuan Q, Zhang Z, Chandrasekaran B, Guo T Brain and Language, 230, 105128
A new perspective for understanding the contributions of the cerebellum to reading: The cerebro-cerebellar mapping hypothesis Li H†, Yuan Q†, Luo YJ, Tao W Neuropsychologia, 170, 108231
Nonverbal cognitive control training increases the efficiency of frontal-subcortical collaboration for bilingual language control Wu J, Zhang M, Dang Q, Chang Q, Yuan Q, Zhang Z, Ding G, Lu C, Guo T Neuropsychologia, 169, 108204

2021

The cortical organization of writing sequence: evidence from observing Chinese characters in motion Zhang Z, Yuan Q, Liu Z, Zhang M, Wu J, Lu C, Ding G, Guo T Brain Structure and Function, 226(5), 1627–1639
Language switching training modulates the neural network of non-linguistic cognitive control Chen M, Ma F, Zhang Z, Li S, Zhang M, Yuan Q, Wu J, Lu C, Guo T PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0247100
Patterns and networks of language control in bilingual language production Yuan Q, Wu J, Zhang M, Zhang Z, Chen M, Ding G, Lu C, Guo T Brain Structure and Function, 226(4), 963–977
Neural interaction between language control and cognitive control: Evidence from cross-task adaptation Yuan Q, Ma F, Zhang M, Chen M, Zhang Z, Wu J, Lu C, Guo T Behavioural Brain Research, 401, 113086

2020

Language context tunes brain network for language control in bilingual language production Wu J, Zhang Z, Chen M, Yuan Q, Zhang M, Yang J, Lu C, Guo T Neuropsychologia, 147, 107592

Simon (Qiming) Yuan