NeTS Linguistics Lab @ IUSS (Laboratory for Neurolinguistics, Computational Linguistics and Theoretical Syntax) was established in April 2021 and it is the natural continuation of the linguistics activity of the NETS Center, established in March 2011, and directed by Prof. Andrea Moro, Professor of Linguistics, until September 2016 then by Prof. Cristiano Chesi until the center was terminated in March 2021.
The Lab is now directed by Prof. Cristiano Chesi.

The aims and activities of the center are mainly related to the issues of the theory of natural language, in particular to syntax and its interface with semantics and pragmatics, the computational models of processing, neuropragmatics and the neural localizations and architecture of linguistic processes.
The research and didactic activities will be carried out by relying also on agreements with other advanced schools and universities both at national and international levels.

 

RESEARCH TOPICS 

RESEARCH ON NEUROLINGUISTICS
- Neurobiological foundations of syntax
- Possible vs. impossible languages
- Neuropragmatics and neural basis of figurative language
- Negation in the brain
- The quest for the neurobiological basis of syntax by awake surgical procedures
 
RESEARCH ON THEORETICAL SYNTAX
- Theory of Movement (Long Distance Dependencies)
- Clause structure (expletives, copular inversion and unaccusativity)
- Syntax-semantics interface (focus, vocative, definiteness effect)
- Directionality (Top-Down, Left-Right) of phrase structure building
 
RESEARCH ON COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS
- Computation, recursion and complexity
- Formal model of processing and generation
- Psycholinguistic efforts estimation through complexity metrics