Erin Carpenter

About

I am interested in translational research on neurological disorders, including aphasia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. In particular, my work focuses on understanding reserve and recovery in aging and post-stroke aphasia through functional neuroimaging techniques (i.e., fNIRS and EEG). This research examines how individual life experiences, such as bilingualism, may contribute to greater cognitive reserve, offering protection against neuropathology. More broadly, I am passionate about enhancing the diagnosis and rehabilitation of language and cognitive impairments in clinical populations with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds using clinical tools (assessments and interventions) and biomedical techniques (functional neuroimaging and neuromodulation).

Research Interests 

Functional neuroimaging (fNIRS, EEG)

Aging and neurological disorders (aphasia, MCI, dementia)

Neurorehabilitation

Neural reorganization and neuroplasticity

Neuromodulation

Bilingualism

Reserve

Cognitive Control

Awards and Honors

2024 Student Fellowship Award, Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS)

2024 NIH/NIDCD Research Symposium in Clinical Aphasiology Fellowship for the 53rd Annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference

2023 New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship, American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) NIH/NIDCD Academy of Aphasia Young Investigator Travel Fellowship for the 61st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia

2021-2022 National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program: Understanding the Brain (NRT-UtB): Neurophotonics (DGE-1633516; PI: Thomas Bifano)

2020-2021 NIH/NIDCD Advanced Research Training in Communication Sciences and Disorders (NIH/NIDCD T32DC013017; PI: Christopher Moore)

2017-2018 National Science Foundation: Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) (OISE-1545900; PI: Paola Dussias)

Research Funding & Training

Externally Funded: 2024-2026 NIH/NIDCD F31DC021385-01A1. Bilingualism as a cognitive reserve factor: The behavioral and neural underpinnings of cognitive control in bilingual aphasia. PI: Erin Carpenter ($74,656)

Internally Funded: 2023-2024 Student Research Grant, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University. Bilingualism as a Cognitive Reserve Factor: The Behavioral and Neural Underpinnings of Cognitive Control in Bilingual Aphasia ($5000)

2016-2017 Enrichment Funding, College of Liberal Arts, Pennsylvania State University. The Benefits of Abstract Word Training on Productive Vocabulary Knowledge Among Second Language Learners ($1000)

2021-Current: NSF DGE 1633516 NRT Understanding the Brain: Neurophotonics

2020-2021: NIH/NIDCD T32DC013017 Advanced Research Training In Communication Sciences and Disorders

Curriculum Vitae

Google Scholar Profile

LinkedIn

Research Gate

Twitter: @erincarpenter_

Current Projects

Bilingualism as a cognitive reserve factor: the behavioral and neural underpinnings of cognitive control in bilingual patients with aphasia [NIH/NIDCD 1F31DC021385-01A1] 

Predicting Rehabilitation Outcomes in Bilingual Aphasia Using Computational Modeling (PROCoM)

Verbal fluency as a measure of lexical access and cognitive control in bilinguals with aphasia

The Neuroscience of Everyday World

 

Peer-Reviewed Publications 

1. Carpenter, E., Penaloza, C., Rao, L., & Kiran, S. (2021). Clustering and switching in verbal fluency across varying degrees of cognitive control demands: Evidence from healthy bilinguals and bilinguals with aphasia. Neurobiology of Language. doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00053
2. Peñaloza, C., Scimeca, M., Gaona, A., Carpenter, E., Mukadam N., Gray, T., Shamapant, S. and Kiran, S. (2021). Telerehabilitation for Word Retrieval Deficits in Bilinguals With Aphasia: Effectiveness and Reliability as Compared to In-person Language Therapy. Frontiers In Neurology. 12:589330. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.589330
3. Peñaloza, C., Dekhtyar, M., Scimeca, M., Carpenter, E., Mukadam, N., Kiran, S. (2020). Predicting treatment outcomes for bilinguals with aphasia using computational modeling: Study protocol for the PROCoM randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 10(11). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040495
4. Carpenter, E., Rao, L., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2020). Verbal fluency as a measure of lexical access and cognitive control in bilingual persons with aphasia. Aphasiology, 34(11), 1341-1362. doi:1080/02687038.2020.1759774
5. Sandberg, C. W., Carpenter, E., Kerschen, K., Paolieri, D., & Jackson, C. N. (2019). The benefits of abstract word training on productive vocabulary knowledge among second language learners. Applied Psycholinguistics, 40(6), 1331-1332. doi: 10.1017/S0142716419000262

 

Journal Articles

1. †Marte, M.J., †Carpenter, E., Falconer, I., Scimeca, M., Abdollahi, F., Peñaloza, C. and Kiran, S. (2022). LEX-BADAT: Language EXperience in Bilinguals With and Without Aphasia DATaset. Frontiers in Psychology. 13:875928. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.875928

2. Carpenter, E., Penaloza, C., Rao, L., & Kiran, S. (2021). Clustering and switching in verbal fluency across varying degrees of cognitive control demands: Evidence from healthy bilinguals and bilinguals with aphasia. Neurobiology of Language. doi:10.1162/nol_a_00053

3. Peñaloza, C., Scimeca, M., Gaona, A., Carpenter, E., Mukadam N., Gray, T., Shamapant, S. and Kiran, S. (2021). Telerehabilitation for Word Retrieval Deficits in Bilinguals with Aphasia: Effectiveness and Reliability as Compared to In-person Language Therapy. Frontiers In Neurology. 12:589330. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.589330

4. Peñaloza, C., Dekhtyar, M., Scimeca, M., Carpenter, E., Mukadam, N., Kiran, S. (2020). Predicting treatment outcomes for bilinguals with aphasia using computational modeling: Study protocol for the PROCoM randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 10(11). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040495

5. Carpenter, E., Rao, L., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2020). Verbal fluency as a measure of lexical access and cognitive control in bilingual persons with aphasia. Aphasiology, 34(11), 1341-1362. doi: 10.1080/02687038.2020.1759774

6. Sandberg, C. W., Carpenter, E., Kerschen, K., Paolieri, D., & Jackson, C. N. (2019). The benefits of abstract word training on productive vocabulary knowledge among second language learners. Applied Psycholinguistics, 40(6), 1331-1332. doi: 10.1017/S0142716419000262

Book Chapters

1. †Scimeca, M., †Carpenter, E., Kiran, S. (2023). Aphasia, Rehabilitation, and L2 Neurocognition. In K. Morgan-Short & J. van Hell (Eds.). Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Neurolinguistics. London, UK: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003190912

2. Kiran, S., Varkanitsa, M., Billot, A., Carpenter, E., Falconer, I. (2024). Individual Differences in Neuroplastic Recovery. Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00206-0

 

Presentations

1. *Russell-Meill, M., Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Scimeca, M., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2024, December 5-7). Outcomes of semantic feature-based therapy in bilingual aphasia: Generalization and transfer across languages [Oral Presentation]. 2024 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention. Seattle, WA, USA.

2. *Shivers, E. H., *Kelly, S., Carpenter, E., Carlton, L., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2024, August 26-27). Use of high density fNIRS to evaluate brain function during interaction and walking in a natural environment [Poster Presentation]. 2nd Annual Neuroscience of the Everyday World Conference. Boston, MA, USA.

3. Scimeca, M., Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Russell-Meill, M., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2024, July 1-3). Patterns of language recovery following anomia treatment for bilinguals with aphasia [Accepted for Oral presentation]. 2024 International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

4. *Carpenter, E., Grasemann, U., Scimeca, M., Marte, M. J., Russell-Meill, M., Peñaloza, C., Miikkulainen, R., & Kiran, S. (2024, May 28-June 1). A randomized controlled trial examining the predictive power of computational simulations on treatment-induced naming outcomes in Spanish-English bilingual adults with aphasia [Oral presentation]. 53rd Annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference. Waikoloa Beach, HI, USA.

5. *Scimeca, M., Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Russell-Meill, M., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2024, May 28-June 1). Assessing assessment in bilingual aphasia: Towards cultural-linguistic equity in clinical testing [Oral presentation]. 53rd Annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference. Waikoloa Beach, HI, USA.

6. *Carpenter, E., Grasemann, U., Scimeca, M., Marte, M. J., Russell-Meill, M., Peñaloza, C., Miikkulainen, R., & Kiran, S. (2024, May 22-25). Simulating therapy-induced recovery in bilingual aphasia via computational modeling and machine learning approaches [Oral presentation]. 13th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation. Vancouver, Canada.

7. Braun, E. J., *Carpenter, E., Gao, Y., Marte, M. J., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2024, May 22-25). Cortical activation for conversational question responses in individuals with post-stroke aphasia: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study [Oral presentation]. 13th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation. Vancouver, Canada.

8. *Carpenter, E., Braun, E. J., Marte, M. J., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2023, October 24-26). fNIRS functional connectivity in chronic post-stroke aphasia: A pilot study [Poster presentation]. 15th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neurobiology of Language (SNL). Marseille, France.

9. *Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Scimeca, M., Russell, M., Falconer, I. F., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2023, October 21-23). Factors influencing language impairment in bilingual aphasia [Poster presentation]. 61st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia. Reading, UK.

10. *Marte, M. J., Carpenter, E., Scimeca, M., Russell, M., Falconer, I., Peñaloza, C., & Kiran, S. (2023, October 21-23). Predicting treatment responsiveness in bilingual aphasia: The role of dual language information [Poster presentation]. 61st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia. Reading, United Kingdom.

11. *Xu, E., Vanegas, M., Mireles, M., McCann, A., Carpenter, E., Braun, E., & Kiran, S. (2023, June 12-13). Initial in vivo validation of a flexible circuit-based and 3-D aware modular functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) platform [Poster presentation]. 9th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting. Bethesda, MD, USA.

12. *Braun, E. J., Carpenter, E., Gao, Y., Marte, M. J., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2023, May 30-June 3). Cortical activity patterns for narrative production in individuals with and without aphasia via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) [Oral presentation]. 52nd Annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference. Atlantic City, NJ, USA.

13. *Scimeca, M., Peñaloza, C., Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Falconer, I., Combs, A., Gray, T., Shamapant, S., Kiran, S. (2022, December 14-17). Telerehabilitation for language deficits in Spanish-English individuals with post-stroke aphasia [Accepted for Oral presentation]. 12th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation. Vienna, Austria.

14. *Carpenter, E., Braun, E. J., Marte, M. J., Scimeca, M., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2022, October 6-8). Neuroscience in the Everyday World: Cortical Activation during Computer-Based Conversation Tasks Using Integrated fNIRS-EEG [Poster presentation]. 14th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neurobiology of Language. Philadelphia, PA, USA.

15. *Braun, E. J., Carpenter, E., Gao, Y., Cronin-Golomb, A., Ellis, T., Somers, D. C., von Lühmann, A., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2022, October 9-12). Neuroscience in the everyday world: Brain correlates of naturalistic discourse in individuals with aphasia [Poster presentation]. 2022 Society for functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Boston, MA, USA.

16. *Anderson, J.A., Rogers, D., Gao, Y., Farzam, P., Beeler, D., Braun, E. J., Bulter, L., Carpenter, E., Girnis, J., Kaplan, R., Mukadam, N., Tripathi, V., Wilson, J., Somers, D. C., Cronin-Golomb, A., Kiran, S., Ellis, T. D., Boas, D. A., & Yücel, M. (2022, October 9-12). Quantification of the diverse effect of hair and skin properties on fNIRS signal quality [Poster presentation]. 2022 Society for functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Boston, MA, USA.

17. *Scimeca, M., Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Combs, A., & Kiran, S., (2022, September 16-17). Enabling access to post-stroke rehabilitation in Hispanic bilinguals with aphasia: Lessons learned and challenges ahead [Poster presentation]. 16th Annual Eleanor M. Saffron Cognitive Neuroscience Conference. Philadelphia, PA, USA.

18. *Carpenter, E., Peñaloza, C., Rao, L., & Kiran, S. (2021, October 6-8). Clustering and switching in verbal fluency across different language contexts: Evidence from bilingual aphasia [Pre-recorded oral presentation]. 13th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language. Held virtually.

19. *Braun, E. J., Gao, Y., Carpenter, E., Marte, M. J., Scimeca, M., Abdollahi, F., Yücel, M. A., Boas, D. A., & Kiran, S. (2021, October 18-22). Use of fNIRS to investigate cortical activation for conversational responses and narrative discourse [Poster presentation]. 2021 Society for functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Held virtually.

20. *Peñaloza, C., Scimeca, M., Gaona, A., Carpenter, E., Mukadam, N., Gray, T., Shamapant, S. & Kiran, S. (2020, October 7-11). Feasibility and reliability of teletherapy for word-retrieval deficits in bilingual aphasia [Poster presentation]. 11th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation. Held virtually.

21. *Carpenter, E., Sandberg, C., Kerschen, K., & Jackson, C. (2017, October 12-15). The Benefits of Abstract Word Training on Productive Vocabulary Knowledge Among Second Language Learners [Oral presentation]. 2017 Second Language Research Forum. Columbus, OH, USA.

 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

2024                Ad Hoc Reviewer, Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interests Group

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

2024-Present        Member, Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS)

2020-Present        Member, Society for the Neurobiology of Language (SNL)

2018-Present        Member, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

                SIG 02: Neurogenic Communication Disorders

                SIG 14: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity