Academic Staff
- HHB 701, Hung Hom Bay Campus
- +852 2766 7752
- chanyuan.gu@polyu.edu.hk
- Personal Website
Biography
My research interests center on the neurocognitive bases of language comprehension, computational model development, and technology-enhanced education.
Using multimodal methods, including fMRI, eye-tracking, behavioral measures, and computational modeling, I examine how the brain supports language processing across different populations, including first- and second-language adult users as well as children. Concurrently, I investigate how the neurobiological bases of human language processing can inform the computational design of cognitively plausible large language models. Together, this work aims to advance our understanding of human language comprehension and contribute to the development of human-inspired language models.
In addition, I leverage cutting-edge technologies, such as virtual tutors and AI tutoring systems, to investigate science learning and personalized education. Through this work, I aim to develop cognitively grounded applications for higher and K–12 education.
My ongoing projects examine how people construct and update situation models during language comprehension and communication, and how adaptive AI tutoring systems can support science learning.
Education and Academic Qualifications
- PhD in Neurolinguistics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Academic and Professional Experience
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Connecticut
Teaching Areas
- Advanced Theories in Psycholinguistics
Research Interests
Selected Publications
- Gu, C.*, Peng, Y.*, Nastase, S. A., Mayer, R. E., & Li, P. (2024). Onscreen presence of instructors in video lectures affects learners’ neural synchrony and visual attention during multimedia learning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(12), e2309054121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2309054121
- Gu, C., & Bi, H. Y. (2020). Auditory Processing Deficit in Individuals with Dyslexia: A Meta-Analysis of Mismatch Negativity. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 116, 396-405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.032
- Gu, C., & Bi, H. Y. (2021). The effect of subjective phonetic-radical neighborhood on character naming in developing children. Psychological Development and Education. 37(01), 68-75. https://doi.org/10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2021.01.09
- Gu, C., Nastase, S. A., Zada, Z., & Li, P. (2025). Reading comprehension in L1 and L2 readers: neurocomputational mechanisms revealed through large language models. npj Science of Learning, 10(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00337-y
- Gu, C., Peng, Y., & Li, P. (2026). Advances in bilingualism as a dynamic process: 30 years of exploration in bilingual mind and brain. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 77, 101288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2025.101288
- Yu, S., Gu, C., Huang, K., & Li, P. (2024). Predicting the next sentence (not word) in large language models: What model-brain alignment tells us about discourse comprehension. Science Advances, 10(21), eadn7744. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn7744
- Ma, X., Liu, Y., Clariana, R., Gu, C., & Li, P. (2022). From eye movements to scanpath networks: A method for studying individual differences in expository text reading. Behavior Research Methods, 55(2), 730–750. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01842-3
- Yang, Y., Zuo, Z., Tam, F., Graham, S. J., Li, J., Ji, Y., Meng, Z., Gu, C., ... & Xu, M. (2022). The brain basis of handwriting deficits in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Developmental Science, 25(2), e13161. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13161
- Yang, Y., Tam, F., Graham, S., Sun, G., Li, J., Gu, C., ... Bi, H.-Y., Zuo, Z. (2020). Men and women differ in the neural basis of handwriting. Human Brain Mapping, 41(10), 2642-2655. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24968
- Society for the Neurobiology of Language
- Association for Reading and Writing in Asia
- UBSN Best Paper Gold Award,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Faculty of Humanities Outstanding Publication Award for PhD/Doctoral Students,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - National Scholarship,
Southwest Jiaotong University - First Prize,
Sichuan Provincial Simulated Psychological Counseling Competition, Southwest Jiaotong University
