Professor Feng Gangyi is interested in studying how language is learned and represented in the human brain and mind, a research area known as Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics in Language Sciences. He is an awardee of prestigious funding schemes, e.g., China’s National Excellent Young Scientists Award and Fund (国家优秀青年科学基金项目（港澳）) and Hong Kong’s RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) Young Collaborative Research Grant. He earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in Psychology and completed his postdoctoral training in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language at CUHK and the University of Texas at Austin in the US.

Professor Feng’s research employs a range of contemporary cognitive neuroscience research approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying language learning, speech, and lexical-semantic processing in healthy adults and clinical populations. His research has been published in many high-profile academic journals, including PNAS and the Journal of Neuroscience. He has received over 15M funding support for his research from various external and university sources, including the RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF), General Research Fund (GRF), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Students majoring in Linguistics, Psychology, Education, Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related field are welcome to contact him regarding the Ph.D. program application. He is also actively seeking Postdoctoral fellows and Research Assistants (RA) to join his lab (https://neurolanglab.github.io/index.html). Students with relevant backgrounds are encouraged to contact him for further information.

Research Interest

Language Sciences, Neurolinguistics, Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Language Learning and Processing Mechanisms, Speech and Semantic Representation

Journal Publications

* Corresponding author

1. Hong, C., Teng, X., Li, Y., Hsu, S. M., Tsao, F. M., Wong, P., & Feng, G.* (2025). Language-specific Tonal Features Drive Speaker-Listener Neural Synchronization. arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.05211.
2. Xu, Z., Yang, Y., Yuan, T., Feng, G., & Cai, Z. G. (2025) Neural Substrates Associated with Character Amnesia in Chinese Handwriting: A Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy Study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 1-19.
3. Gao P., Jiang Z., Yang Y., Zheng Y, Feng G.*, Li X. (2024). Temporal neural dynamics of understanding communicative intentions from speech prosody. NeuroImage, 299, 120830.
4. Gan Z., Zheng L., Wang S. and Feng G.* (2023). Distribution-dependent representations in auditory category learning and generalization. Psychol. 14:1132570. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1132570
5. Yuan, D., Ng, I. H. Y., Feng, G., Chang, W. T., Tong, M. C., Young, N. M., & Wong, P. C. (2023). The Extent of Hearing Input Affects the Plasticity of the Auditory Cortex in Children With Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Study. American Journal of Audiology, 1-12.
6. Gan, Z., Wang, S., & Feng, G.* (2023). Functional magnetic resonance imaging data for the neural dynamics underlying the acquisition of distinct auditory categories. Data in Brief, 47, 108972.
7. Meng, D., Wang, S., Wong, P., Feng, G.* (2022). Generalizable predictive modeling of semantic processing ability from functional brain connectivity. Human Brain Mapping, 43, 4274-4292.
8. Taylor, A., Zhang, F., Niu, X., Heywood, A., Stocks, J., Feng, G., Popuri, K., Beg, M.F., Wang, L., 2022. Investigating the temporal pattern of neuroimaging-based brain age estimation as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease related neurodegeneration. NeuroImage, 263, 119621.
9. Feng, G.*, Gan Z., Yi H., Ell, S., Wang, S., Roark, C. L., Wang, S., Wong, P. C. M., Chandrasekaran, B. (2021). Neural dynamics underlying the acquisition of distinct auditory category structures. NeuroImage, 244, 118565.
10. Feng, G.*, Ou, J., Gan, Z., Jia, X., Meng, D., Wang, S., Wong, P.C.M. (2021). Neural fingerprints underlying individual language learning profiles. Journal of Neuroscience, 41, 7372-7387.
11. Feng, G.*, Gan, Z., Llanos, F., Meng, D., Wang, S., Wong, P.C.M., Chandrasekaran, B. (2021). A distributed dynamic brain network mediates linguistic tone representation and categorization. NeuroImage, 224, 117410.
12. Feng, G.*, Li, Y., Hsu, S-M., Wong, P.C.M., Chou, T-L., Chandrasekaran, B. (2021) Emerging native-similar neural representations underlie non-native speech category learning success. Neurobiology of Language, 2, 280-307.
13. Wong, P.C.M., Lai, C.M., Chan, P.H.Y., Leung, T.F., Lam, H.S., Feng, G., Maggu, A.R., Novitskiy, N. (2021). Neural Speech Encoding in Infancy Predicts Future Language and Communication Difficulties. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30, 2241-2250.
14. Feng, G., Yi, H.G., Chandrasekaran, B. (2019). The role of the human auditory corticostriatal network in speech learning. Cerebral Cortex, 29(10): 4077-4089.
15. Feng, G., Ingvalson, E.M., Grieco-Calub, T.M., Roberts, M.Y., Ryan, M.E., Birmingham, P., Burrowes, D., Young, N., Wong, P.C.M. (2018). Neural preservation underlies speech improvement from auditory deprivation in young cochlear implant recipients. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 115(5), E1022-E1031.
16. Feng, G., Gan Z., Wang, S., Wong, P. C. M., Chandrasekaran, B. (2018). Task-general and acoustic-invariant neural representation of speech categories in the human brain. Cerebral Cortex, 28(9): 3241-3254.
17. Feng, G., Chen, Q., Zhu, Z., Wang, S. (2016). Separate brain circuits support integrative and semantic priming in the human language system. Cerebral Cortex, 26(7): 3169-3182.
18. Feng, G., Chen, H.-C., Zhu, Z., He, Y., Wang, S., (2015). Dynamic brain architectures in local brain activity and functional network efficiency associate with efficient reading in bilinguals. NeuroImage, 119, 103-118.
19. Zhang, F., Wang, S., Yang, J., Feng, G. (2015). Atypical brain functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorders. Advances in Psychological Science, 23(7): 1196-1204.
20. Zhu, Z., Feng, G., Zhang, J.X., Li, G., Li, H., Wang, S., (2013). The role of left prefrontal cortex in sentence-level semantic integration. NeuroImage, 76(1), 325-331.
21. Zhu, Z., Fan, Y., Feng, G., Huang, R., Wang, S., (2013). Large scale brain functional networks support sentence comprehension: Evidence from both explicit and implicit language tasks. PLoS ONE,
22. Zhu, Z., Hagoort, P., Zhang, J.X., Feng, G., Chen, H.C., Bastiaansen, M., Wang, S., (2012). The anterior left inferior frontal gyrus contributes to semantic unification. NeuroImage, 60, 2230-2237.
23. Cheung, H., Chen, L., Szeto, C.-Y., Feng, G., Lu, G., Zhang, Z., Zhu, Z., Wang, S., (2012). False belief and verb non-factivity: A common neural basis? International Journal of Psychophysiology, 83, 357-364.
24. Feng, G., Zhu, Z., Duan, Y., Zhang, W. (2011). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: neural mechanisms and intervention. Journal of Psychological Science, 34(4): 931-938.
25. Zhu, Z., Wang, S., Feng, G., Liu, Y., (2011). Left inferior frontal gyrus and semantic unification in sentence comprehension. Advances in Psychological Science, 19(8), 1147-1158.
26. Zhu, Z., Wang, S., Feng, G., Li, G., (2011). The neural basis of semantic unification. Journal of Psychological Science, 19(8), 1147-1158.

Patents

1. Wong, P.C.M., Feng, G., Yang, N.M. Neural Predictors of Language Skill Outcomes in Cochlear Implantation Patients. US Patent (Patent No. 11,607,309. 2023, Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office).
2. Wong, P.C.M., Novitskiy, N., Feng, G., et al. Forecasting Developmental Language and Communication Outcomes in Healthy Children (預測嬰幼兒的發育語言和交流能力的方法和工具). PRC Patent (PRC Patent No. ZL202010692253.5. 2023); Macao Patent (Ref. No. J/007105).

Funding Awards

 External Awards as PC/PI/Co-PI

1. RGC CRF Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG). A Predictive Personalization Approach to Enhance Foreign Language Learning and Teaching (Ref. No. C4001-23Y). Role: PC. HK$ 4,845,992. 2024-2027. Ongoing.
2. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong & Macao) (國家優秀青年科學基金項目（港澳）). Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Learning (Ref. No. 32322090). Role: PI. RMB￥2,000,000. 2024-2026. Ongoing.
3. RGC General Research Fund (GRF). Neurophysiological Markers of Successful Normalization and Abstraction in Speech Learning (Ref. No. 14621424). Role: PI. HK$ 708,894. 2025-2027. Ongoing.
4. RGC General Research Fund (GRF). Neural Representations Underlying Successful Generalization in Auditory Category Learning (Ref. No. 14612923). Role: PI. HK$ 924,500. 2024-2025. Ongoing.
5. RGC General Research Fund (GRF). Neural and Cognitive Fingerprints of General Language Learning Ability (Ref. No. 14614221). Role: PI. HK$ 1,008,840. 2023-2025. Ongoing.
6. RGC General Research Fund (GRF). Cortico-striatal Systems Underlying Supervised Speech Learning (Ref. No. 14619518). Role: PI. HK$ 780,085. 2019-2022. Completed.
7. RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). Hyperscanning to Explore the Human Mind in Ensemble (Ref. No. C4001-22EF). Role: Co-PI. HK$ 8,330,150. 2023-2026. Ongoing.
8. RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). A Predict-to-Prescribe Approach to Social Communication Treatment in Chinese Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Ref. No. C4024-21GF).     Role: Co-PI. HK$ 7,974,224. 2022-2025. Ongoing.
9. RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). Using Advanced Neuroimaging to Predict Language and Cognitive Outcomes in Pre-Term Infants (Ref. No. C4055-19G). Role: Co-PI, HK$ 5,559,743. 2020-2023. Completed.

 Other External Awards as Co-I

1. Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Key Areas Research and Development Program Project. Neural Mechanisms and Applications of Multimodal Integration in Language Processing (廣東省重點領域研發計畫專案, 語言加工中多模態整合的腦機制及其應用) (Ref. No. 2023B0303010004). Role: Co-I, RMB￥5,000,000. 2023-2026. Ongoing.
2. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The brain reorganization after hearing loss and rehabilitation: mechanism and prognosis (聽覺障礙與跨模態大腦皮層重組:機制與預後) (NSFC Ref. No. 32171051). Role: Co-I. RMB￥650,000. 2022-2025. Ongoing.
3. RGC, General Research Fund (GRF). Using Neuroimaging to Predict Language Outcomes in Chinese-Learning Children with Cochlear Implants (Ref. No. 14605119). Role: Co-I. HK$ 800,020. 2020-2022. Completed.
4. Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), Innovation and Technology Support Programme (ITSP). Neural Predictors of Language Development (Ref. No. ITS/067/18). Role: Co-I. HK$ 1,399,563. 2019-2020. Completed.
5. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), General Research Project. Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Pitch Perception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Aged 6-12: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Tracking Study (6-12歲自閉症譜系障礙兒童音調感知的認知神經機制：橫向與縱向追蹤研究) (Ref. No. 31571136). Role: Co-I. RMB￥775,000. 2016-2019. Completed
6. National Social Science Foundation of China (NSSFC), Key Research Project. Research on Chinese Concept Representation and Semantic Integration (漢語概念表徵與語義整合研究) (Ref. No. 15AZD048). (Role: Co-I). RMB￥350,000. 2016-2018. Completed.
7. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), General Research Project. The Role of the Anterior Temporal Lobe in Semantic Processing (左側顳葉前部在語義加工中的作用) (Ref. No. 31271086). Role: Co-I. RMB￥800,000. 2013-2016. Completed.

• LING3401    Linguistics and Information Technology

• LING4201    Neurolinguistics

• LING4202    Special Topics in Language and Mind: Paradigms in Language Sciences

• LING6953    Topics in Neurolinguistics & Psycholinguistics: Neuralingusitic Foundamentals

• LING6970    Special Topics in Linguistics: Research Design & Methods

• LING6971    Special Topics in Experimental Methods: fNIRS in Language Sciences