Sign in

Hannah Mechtenberg

@hannahmech.bsky.social
456 followers 545 following 76 posts

researcher studying brains, speech, how to talk about science, with some freelance graphic design on the side. she/her 🏳️‍🌈 hmechtenberg.wixsite.com/hrmech

PostsRepliesMedia
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
8 years ago, I started a science magazine. There was a critical gap between speech science and non-experts, and I also wanted to provide writing and outreach instruction to undergrads. Check out our latest issue here, headed by Portia Washington: thespokenworddigest.substack.com
thespokenworddigest.substack.com
The Spoken Word | The Language and Brain Lab | Substack
Science digested by the Language and Brain Lab, where we cover topics in aphasia, speech and language science, and outreach. Available via print and podcast. Based at the University of Connecticut. Cl...
070
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
What a whirlwind it's been! I came here in 2018 to work as a lab manager not knowing anything about speech or language and came away with more knowledge than I know what to do with (though, I still have a lot to learn)! Thank you to @emilymyers.bsky.social for your mentorship and the LAB Lab!
3100
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Emily Myers @emilymyers.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
New paper our from our lab led by postdoc Holly Zaharchuk, with @overhannahlyze.bsky.social , @hannahmech.bsky.social , and @mattcphillips.bsky.social We measured individual differences in sensitivity to phonetic contrasts using VAS and eyetracking 1/2
1174
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Sourcery @sourceryapp.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Were you at the NEA Spring meeting? Looking for new research opportunities? We're searching for Beta Testers for the next Sourcery update! 🥳 ✨Ready to begin? Start here: go.sourceryapp.org/register #BetaTesters #RemoteResearch #SourceryApp #HigherEd #Academia
Person using the Sourcery app on a phone showing research request statuses, announcing that Sourcery is looking for Beta Testers.
111
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Jamie Reilly 🦜 @reilly-coglab.com · 22/12/2025
Paper alert! (1/2) We examined brain activation for each content word in a podcast relative to incrementally larger ngrams (1-word, 5-words, 10-words) that precede each word with a focus on semantic distance. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Measuring brain sensitivity to semantic distance in spoken narrative comprehension
Discourse comprehension requires simultaneous integration of local and global constituents. When hearing a narrative, for example, listeners must link…
33611
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Jonathan Peelle @jpeelle.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Glad to see this work led by the talented @hannahmech.bsky.social (and also with @emilymyers.bsky.social and @reilly-coglab.com) is out in the world. It's been fun to be thinking in units beyond the sentence.
0102
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 22/12/2025
Scientists scanned people in an fMRI as they listened to me talk about my book She Has Her Mother's Laugh. I altered their brains! (Or at least my semantics did...)
Figure of two brain hemispheres with orange and blue regions indicating changes in brain activity as people listen to a journalist on a radio show and link words together to build meaning.
2313
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Why are we so good at adapting to "sub-optimal" speech? I argue, in this review paper, that adaptation may be driven by the combined action of dopamine and norepinephrine via prediction error signaling. It's early days with this idea, but I'm excited to have it out there and to keep exploring more!
093
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Jamie Reilly 🦜 @reilly-coglab.com · 01/09/2025
Awwwww Yeah -- it's official
3497
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Arielle Keller @ariellekeller.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Absolutely thrilled to share the 🌟 FIRST PAPER 🌟 from ACORN Lab! 🐿️ I’m beyond proud of all-star grad student @heatherarobinson.bsky.social for this review of “exposome” effects on neurodevelopment & cognition! Paper here rdcu.be/ezUqx & thread below 👇 /1 #neuroskyence #PsychSciSky #devsky #cogdev
rdcu.be
The effect of the “exposome” on developmental brain health and cognitive outcomes
Neuropsychopharmacology - The effect of the “exposome” on developmental brain health and cognitive outcomes
47033
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Science Homecoming @sciencehomecoming.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
From farm to faculty. Writing home to his community in Minnesota, Prof Jim Magnuson explains that the powerhouse behind U.S. research is the infrastructure, paid by “indirect costs”. “This system has made U.S. science the strongest in the world.” 🧪🏠 www.hometownsource.com/county_news_...
hometownsource.com
Farm to faculty: How federal research funding changes lives and boosts Minnesota's economy
When I was growing up on a farm near Cambridge, I never met a scientist. I didn’t know what scientific research was or how people became scientists. I graduated from
12013
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Such a fun experience to travel down to Georgia and have our team of talented students show the summit attendees what the @langscistation.bsky.social is all about! It's been a few summers since I've had the pleasure of running studies with the LSS and it was lovely to reprise my role :)
040
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Jamie Reilly 🦜 @reilly-coglab.com · 22/07/2025
Our conversation analysis software is now on CRAN! Reach out with any questions. We hope it’s useful for all you language and social interaction folks out there.
13814
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Jonathan Peelle @jpeelle.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
As you listen to a story, the meaning of each word you hear relates to the meaning of prior words. But how? We operationalized semantic distance, and identified brain regions that correspond to this rolling summary measure during naturalistic listening. #neuroscienceoflanguage
0267
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Check out our preprint (linked again here: osf.io/preprints/ps...) where we measured neural sensitivity to changes in semantic space while listening to a podcast. Not only do we look at word-to-word but larger chunks too (2-gram, 5-gram, 10-gram) to examine meaning construction at multiple levels.
A figure showing neural sensitivity to semantic distance at multiple chunk sizes. The panels show activation in the superior temporal gyri and frontal regions that varies in relation to changes in semantic distance.
1336
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Emily Myers @emilymyers.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
In this new pub we ask whether a small rewards (cents) might get people to learn the phonetic details of talker more quickly (e.g. a s--sh shift). Answer: probably not. The fact that we got to title the paper "Cents and Shenshibility" was just a bonus. Explainer below!
3296
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
New science alert!!! Myself, Shawn Cummings, Sahil Luthra, & @emilymyers.bsky.social tested whether monetary reward during talker-specific phonetic recalibration biased listeners to learn more about one talker vs another. The results are complicated? doi.org/10.3758/s13414-025-03048-z (1/thread)
doi.org
Cents and shenshibility: The role of reward in talker-specific phonetic recalibration - Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics
To what degree might speech perception be affected by factors external to the speech signal? Here, we consider whether listeners consider the value of individual talkers (e.g., a person that is import...
4172
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Jonathan Peelle @jpeelle.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
The Society for the Neurobiology of Language meeting will be at Gallaudet University, September 12-14th. We have 4 outstanding keynotes (Fumiko Hoeft, Duane Watson, Carol Padden, Fatemeh Geranmayeh). Abstract submissions are open! Hope to see you there! #SNL2025 2025.neurolang.org/abstract-sub...
Annual meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language
September 12-14 2025
Gallaudet University
Abstract submission through April 29
neurolang.org
23316
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Thank you for the shout-out! We have an open-source model (osf.io/db79q/) for anyone who wants to start a lab digest -- it leads your writers through all the skills they need to learn about public science communication! Stay tuned for our 10th issue that will be released soon!
osf.io
An Adaptable Model for Science Communication and Lab Outreach: The Lab Digest
Materials to create an in-lab research digest intended to share academic work with non-scientist audiences. It is designed for novice writers and science communicators to learn the skills needed to wr...
172
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · 03/04/2025
Researchers at Annenberg and @umdscience.bsky.social show that proposed NIH funding cuts lead to an estimated $16 billion in economic loss and 68,000 jobs lost nationwide. Learn about their project and view the interactive map here:
asc.upenn.edu
Data-Driven, Interactive Map Shows Local Economic Impact of Cuts to Federal Funding for Health Research
111284
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Today, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs. It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
ucsusa.org
48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science
48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science
6733021421
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
If you need a break, come visit our new Substack space where you can read articles that translate work in speech and hearing science, aphasia, caregiving, and more. It's a small drop in the bucket, but increasing the reach of critical knowledge feels worthwhile: thespokenworddigest.substack.com
thespokenworddigest.substack.com
The Spoken Word | The Language and Brain Lab | Substack
Science digested by the Language and Brain Lab, where we cover topics in aphasia, speech and language science, and outreach. Available via print and podcast. Based at the University of Connecticut. Cl...
1116
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Across the government, probationary employees and Schedule A workers—including individuals with severe physical, psychiatric, or intellectual disabilities, as well as veterans—are being let go.
394103853275
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 08/02/2025
1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD
25470004078
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Karen James @kejames.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Look up the impact of NIH funding in your state: www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
unitedformedicalresearch.org
NIH In Your State - United For Medical Research
Select a state on the map to see the impact of NIH funding across America.
611887
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 30/01/2025
National Science Foundation suspends salary payments, leaving researchers unable to pay their bills www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t... Story by @ericboodman.bsky.social
statnews.com
National Science Foundation suspends salary payments, leaving researchers unable to pay their bills
An NSF online payment system remained down after the federal funding freeze was lifted, leaving early-career scientists scrambling to pay bills
5914511013
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Emily Myers @emilymyers.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Ever been curious about what happens in your brain when there is a topic shift during listening? I thought so. @hannahmech.bsky.social has some answers for you. But also more questions?
1202
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
In case you missed it at @psychonomicsociety.bsky.social's annual meeting - I worked with @jamiereillycog.bsky.social, @jpeelle.bsky.social, and @emilymyers.bsky.social to model changes in semantic distance during a podcast, which correlated with neural activity! drive.google.com/drive/u/0/fo...
A snippet from a poster. At the top is a heading reading, "The pattern of neural sensitivity to semantic distance during naturalistic listening varies based on region: from the STG to the supramarginal gyrus." Below the heading are graphical depictions of brains with the activation patterns on them. The four types of activation are: semantic distance, just word events, lexical frequency, and phonological neighborhood density.
0193
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Psychonomic Society @psychonomicsociety.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Thanks to all who made the #psynom24 65th Annual Meeting in the Big Apple unforgettable! See you in Denver next year. buff.ly/49pjpD3
0302
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to write up some of the amazing talks for @psychonomicsociety.bsky.social during this year's Annual Meeting. Check them out if you didn't get a chance to come (or missed a few talks)!
020
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Arielle Keller @ariellekeller.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
☀️ New preprint! ☀️ Cognitive tests from 23,000+ participants in 4 datasets show cyclical fluctuations across the calendar year, including a small but replicable “summer slide” where youth show worst performance after school vacation. t.ly/OMzgl #PsychSciSky #CogPsyc #CogDev #devpsy #CogSci Thread /1
a graph showing a drop in cognitive performance during the summer months in the ABCD Study dataset
1018774
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Yes, come see me! I'm presenting Saturday evening (the 23rd) from 6:00-7:30!
010
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Brielle Stark, PhD {she} @briellestark.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
A goal of mine for MANY YEARS has been to make plain language summaries and, where possible, #infographics of the papers coming out of the lab. Thanks to awesome undergrad RAs, here they come! Check back in as more get added! #aphasia #accessible #research www.neuralresearchlab.com/plainlang
neuralresearchlab.com
Accessible Research — NEURAL Research Lab
2257
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
I suppose now is as good a time as ever (welcome to BlueSky everyone!) to debut my new website. Check it out and feel free to contact me if your project or lab needs a logo! hmechtenberg.wixsite.com/hrmech
hmechtenberg.wixsite.com
Hannah Mechtenberg | Research & Design
Design, research, and science communication by Hannah Mechtenberg
020
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Come work with us! It's pretty great here, and we have an amazing graduate student and postdoc union that makes sure we get paid well and have awesome health insurance!
011
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 30/10/2024
I presented during LingComm 2023 and had a wonderful time connecting with other passionate folks that want to bring linguistics and language science to more people! Highly recommend attending!!
041
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Emily Myers @emilymyers.bsky.social · 22/10/2024
This is a huge labor of love from our lab: grad students mentor the undergrads to write about language science topics & we release it as an accessible sci comm product. @hannahmech.bsky.social has put crazy amounts of thought into how to do this well. It is SLICK if I do say so. Share widely!
23716
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 17/10/2024
I am so proud to release the 2024 issue of The Spoken Word! Our magazine features articles written by undergraduate research students that tackle big issues in #aphasia, #languagescience, #representation, and more! Read the full issue here: myerslab.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/u...
The front cover of the 2024 issue of The Spoken Word research magazine. It has 6 brains, each a different color (red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and pink) with a styalized speech waveform in the background.
2219
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Language Science Station at Planet Word @langscistation.bsky.social · 19/09/2024
We are extremely excited to announce our new publication highlighting the Language Science Station's approach to doing language research and engagement with the public. www.degruyter.com/document/doi... 1/5
Cover of Linguistics Vanguard journal, depicting abstract shapes
153
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 09/09/2024
Yes, please join us!! We have some cool new initiatives we want to introduce to all of you! :)
010
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Emily Myers @emilymyers.bsky.social · 05/09/2024
Check out this introduction to the Language Science Station, a research/outreach/good vibes program situated within the incomparable Planet Word museum in DC!
031
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 05/09/2024
I’m pleased that our paper about doing language research in the wild is out! Done in collaboration with the intrepid Dr. Charlotte Vaughn and Jessy Orozco Contreras, we introduce the incredible @langscistation.bsky.social n . Read it here: degruyter.com/document/doi... @degruyterbrill.bsky.social
degruyter.com
The Language Science Station at Planet Word: a language research and engagement laboratory at a language museum
The Language Science Station (LSS) is a research and engagement laboratory operating at the Planet Word museum in Washington, DC, representing a unique partnership between language researchers and a m...
3206
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 19/08/2024
Happy to share new work from myself, Chris Heffner, @emilymyers.bsky.social , and Sara Guediche where we looked at the cerebellum’s sensitivity to word-level properties while listening to a podcast in an MRI. Spoiler alert: cerebellum cares about word-level statistics! doi.org/10.1162/nol_...
doi.org
The Cerebellum Is Sensitive to the Lexical Properties of Words During Spoken Language Comprehension
Abstract. Over the past few decades, research into the function of the cerebellum has expanded far beyond the motor domain. A growing number of studies are probing the role of specific cerebellar subr...
1106
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 08/08/2024
I definitely recommend any grad students apply for FREE MEMBERSHIPS to AAAS! I'm the early career representative for the Linguistics and Language Science section at AAAS, and can attest that 1) it looks good on CVs and 2) you will help make the world a better place. DM me if you have questions!
035
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 26/06/2024
Such a joy to write up - I definitely recommend the paper if you are interested in combining #computational modeling, #developmental science, and adult behavioral work in your #cognitive #science studies!
131
Reposted by Hannah Mechtenberg
Psychonomic Society @psychonomicsociety.bsky.social · 07/05/2024
What sets experts apart from novices when viewing surveillance footage? New work by Peng, Burling, Todorova, Neary, Pollick, and Lu uses eye-tracking and machine-learning analyses to take a closer look. Post by @hannahmech.bsky.social #psynomPBR bit.ly/3y3S76i
022
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 18/04/2024
Fantastic paper, and a such privilege to be able to write it up for @psychonomicsociety.bsky.social! Check out both the post and the paper if you care about #inclusivity in cognitive science measures!
042
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 04/04/2024
It was a fun, chaotic way to explore how to be all the different flavors of bad scientists! Feel free to DM me for the full presentation and cast of characters!
021
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
The deadline for the fantastic #comscicon24 #scicomm workshop has been extended to March 31st! If you are a graduate student based at a US or Canadian institution, please apply! It's an amazing chance to develop new skills in #scicomm and network with other folks in #STEM! Apply here: bit.ly/3uMJGv2
Header: Com-Sci-Con with the ComSciCon logo at the locations of the dashes.

[ComSciCon logo consists of an open book at the bottom with symbols for various sciences hovering above:  graduated cylinder, a mechanical gear, Saturn, a DNA helix, and the symbol for orbital atomic structure]

Flagship Workshop July 24-27, 2024
Emerson College in Boston, MA

Deadline extension.
Applications are now due by March 31st!

ComSciCon is a science communication conference made by graduate students, for graduate students that features talented science communicators from across the globe. ComSciCon empowers future leaders in #SciComm to share their research and passions with a broad and diverse audience.

Join us for an all expenses paid, three-day conference with workshops, networking, speakers, and panels!
Apply for free by March 31st and find out more about ComSciCon at comscicon.org. Apply here at the link: https://bit.ly/3uMJGv2
045
Hannah Mechtenberg @hannahmech.bsky.social · 29/02/2024
Hello! I'm helping organize an amazing science communication conference for graduate students - and I want to spread the word! Please distribute to any grad students in your orbit to apply (the application is super short) - here is a thread on what it is (1/🧵)
A photograph of a presentation projected on a large screen. There are people sitting and looking up at the screen and the presenter is on the right-hand side of the image. The screen says, "From the Cosmos to Colonoscopies: A Journey is Science Journalism
1127