Academic Staff
- HHB801d, Hung Hom Bay Campus
- +852 2766 7696
- harry-luyao.chen@polyu.edu.hk
- Personal Website
ORCID ID
SCOPUS IDBiography
Prof. Luyao Chen’s works collectively shed light on the neural foundations of the core human language faculty. We developed a function-word-based Mandarin Chinese jabberwocky sentence processing paradigm for investigating the neural underpinnings of Chinese syntactic processing and created the novel artificial grammar for investigating the neural correlates of hierarchical syntactic processing of human language. Furthermore, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), have been initially introduced to effectively modulate Chinese sentence/syntactic processing performance.
Education and Academic Qualifications
- 2018 - 2020
Postdoc researcher, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences; Neurolinguistics - 2018
Ph.D. in Studying in School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University;
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (2013–2018 M.A.-Ph.D. student) - 2013
B.A. in International College for Chinese Studies, Nanjing Normal University;
Chinese Language and Literature
Academic and Professional Experience
- 2025 - Present
Assistant Professor, Department of Language Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - 2020 - Present
Guest Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences - 2025
Associate Professor, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University - 2020 - 2025
Assistant Professor, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University - 2021- 2025
Head, Max Planck Partner Group, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University - 2021- 2025
Principal Investigator, Institute of Educational System Science, Beijing Normal University
Teaching Areas
- Chinese Linguistics
- Neurolinguistics
- Second Language Cognition and Acquisition
Research Interests
Selected Publications
- Gao, C., Wu, J., Cheng, Y., Ke, Y., Qu, X., Yang, M., Hartwigsen, G., & Chen, L. (2025). Continuous theta-burst stimulation demonstrates language-network-specific causal effects on syntactic processing. Neuroimage, 306, 121014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121014
- Li, Z., Zhou, Z., Wang, X., Wu, J., & Chen, L. (2024). Neural correlates of analogical reasoning on syntactic patterns. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 36(5), 854–871. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02115
- Wu, J., Cheng, Y., Qu, X., Kang, T., Cai, Y., Wang, P., Zaccarella, E., Friederici, A. D., Hartwigsen, G., & Chen, L. (2024). Continuous theta-burst stimulation on the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus perturbs complex syntactic processing stability in mandarin Chinese. Neurobiology of Language, 5(2), 608–627. https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00140
- Yang, M., Liu, Y., Yue, Z., Yang, G., Jiang, X., Cai, Y., Zhang, Y., Yang, X., Li, D., & Chen, L. (2024). Transcranial photobiomodulation on the left inferior frontal gyrus enhances mandarin Chinese L1 and L2 complex sentence processing performances. Brain and Language, 256, 105458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105458
- Chen, L., Gao, C., Li, Z., Zaccarella, E., Friederici, A. D., & Feng, L. (2023). Frontotemporal effective connectivity revealed a language-general syntactic network for mandarin Chinese. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 66, 101127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101127
- Chen, L., Yang, M., Gao, F., Fang, Z., Wang, P., & Feng, L. (2023). Mandarin Chinese L1 and L2 complex sentence reading reveals a consistent electrophysiological pattern of highly interactive syntactic and semantic processing: An ERP study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1143062. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1143062
- Liu, Y., Gao, C., Wang, P., Friederici, A. D., Zaccarella, E., & Chen, L. (2023). Exploring the neurobiology of merge at a basic level: Insights from a novel artificial grammar paradigm. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1151518. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1151518
- Qu, X., Wang, Z., Cheng, Y., Xue, Q., Li, Z., Li, L., Feng, L., Hartwigsen, G., & Chen, L. (2022). Neuromodulatory effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on language performance in healthy participants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 1027446. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.1027446
- Zhang, L., Xu, X., Li, Z., Chen, L., & Feng, L. (2022). Interpersonal neural synchronization predicting learning outcomes from teaching-learning interaction: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 835147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835147
- Chen, L., Goucha, T., Männel, C., Friederici, A. D., & Zaccarella, E. (2021). Hierarchical syntactic processing is beyond mere associating: Functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence from a novel artificial grammar. Human Brain Mapping, 42(10), 3253–3268. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25432
- Chen, L., Wu, J., Hartwigsen, G., Li, Z., Wang, P., & Feng, L. (2021). The role of a critical left fronto-temporal network with its right-hemispheric homologue in syntactic learning based on word category information. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 58, 100977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2020.100977
- Wang, P., Knösche, T. R., Chen, L., Brauer, J., Friederici, A. D., & Maess, B. (2021). Functional brain plasticity during L1 training on complex sentences: Changes in gamma‐band oscillatory activity. Human Brain Mapping, 42(12), 3858–3870. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25470
- Chen, L., Wu, J., Fu, Y., Kang, H., & Feng, L. (2019). Neural substrates of word category information as the basis of syntactic processing. Human Brain Mapping, 40(2), 451–464. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24386
- 陈路遥, 韩笑, 吴俊杰, 付永奔, 姜薰兑, & 冯丽萍. (2019). 基于词类信息的语标标示对汉语二语句法规则建构的影响研究. 世界汉语教学, 33(2), 258–275. https://doi.org/10.13724/j.cnki.ctiw.2019.02.009
- 陈路遥, 孙政辉, 国佳, & 魏岩军. (2022). 人类语言的大脑之源. 北京: 科学出版社. [English thranslation: Chen L, Sun Z, Guo J, & Wei Y. (2022). Translation on “Language in Our Brain”. Beijing: The Science Press] (First translator, 300K Chinese characters)
- Sept 2022 - Dec 2025
National Social Science Foundation (Youth): 22CYY017, Study on the neural mechanism of Chinese grammar processing and learning by combining neural localization and regulation techniques - Dec 2021- Nov 2026
The Scientific and Technological Innovation 2030 - the major project of the Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology: 2021ZD0200533, Subproject: Chinese and English L2 grammar learning - Jan 2021- Dec 2025
Max Planck Partner Group Project, Universal Neural Substrates for Category-based Hierarchical Syntactic Processing in Language
- Jun 2022 - Sept 2025
International Chinese Language Education Project (Youth) of Center for Language Education and Cooperation of Ministry of Education: 22YH54D, Construction of cognitive models of language control for Chinese second language acquisition - Jun 2021 - Aug 2025
Beijing Normal University Education Foundation Project, Neural mechanism of cross-domain multilevel analogical reasoning - Jan 2021 - Dec 2024
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Study on the neural mechanism of syntactic merge and learning process in Chinese on the basis of function words
- Member of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS)
- Member of the Society for Neurobiology of Language (SNL)
- 2024
The Best Teaching Award of the 19th Beijing Normal University Young Teachers' Teaching Skills Competition - 2023
Best Oral Presentation Award in the 4th Macau Symposium on Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Macau, China) (Title: Exploring the neurobiology of Merge at a basic level: Insights from a novel artificial grammar paradigm) - 2022
Best Oral Presentation Award in the 5th Annual Conference of Language and Psychology Committee of Chinese Psychological Society (Nanjing, China) (Title: Frontotemporal effective connectivity revealed a language-general syntactic network for Mandarin Chinese)
