Simon Fisher

Speech and Language: Learning to Read the Genome

The rise of molecular technologies has yielded exciting new routes for studying the biological foundations of human traits. In particular, researchers have started to identify gene networks implicated in speech, language and reading skills. My talk will illustrate how molecular genetic studies of developmental disorders provide powerful entry points into critical neural pathways, beginning with the example of FOXP2. Rare mutations of this gene cause problems with learning to sequence mouth movements during speech, accompanied by wide-ranging deficits in language production and comprehension. FOXP2 encodes a regulatory protein, found in similar form in many vertebrate species; indeed, studies of animals and birds suggest it has conserved roles in the development and plasticity of certain sets of neural circuits. I will go on to discuss how dramatic advances in genomic methods, including next-generation DNA sequencing and large-scale genome-wide association scans, are impacting on the language sciences, emphasising both the promise and the associated challenges. Overall, this work illustrates the importance of an interdisciplinary approach for unravelling the complicated connections between genes, neurons, brain circuits and language.