Xin is currently a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Janet Werker, and her current work examines the neurocognitive mechanisms of how babies and young children from bilingual and monolingual backgrounds understand word meanings.

Xin’s research uses behavioural and fNIRS neuroimaging approaches to investigate how early bilingualism influences children’s language learning and literacy acquisition. She is also broadly interested in individual and cultural differences in people’s beliefs about learning and education.

Sun, X., Marks, R.A., Eggleston, R., Zhang K., Yu, C.L., Nickerson, N., Caruso, V., Chou., T., Hu., X., Tardif, T., Booth, J.R., Beltz, A.M., & Kovelman, I. (2022). Bilingual proficiency enhances neural network density: Sources of heterogeneity in children’s functional connectivity during English word processing. Neurobiology of Language https://doi.org/10.1162/nol_a_00092

Sun, X., Marks, R.A., Zhang, K., Yu, C.L., Eggleston, R., Nickerson, N., Chou, T.L., Hu, X.S., Tardif, T., Satterfield, T., & Kovelman, I. (2022). Brain bases of English morphological processing: A comparison between Chinese-English, Spanish-English bilingual, and English monolingual children. Developmental Science, e13251. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13251

Sun, X., Zhang K., Marks, R.A., Nickerson, N., Eggleston, R., Yu, C.L., Chou., T., Tardif, T., & Kovelman, I. (2021). What’s in a word? Cross-linguistic influences on Spanish-English and Chinese-English bilingual children’s word reading development. Child Development, 93(1), 84-100. http://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13666

Sun, X., Nancekivell, S.E., Gelman, S.A., & Shah, P. (2021). Growth mindset and academic outcomes: A comparison of US and Chinese students. npj Science of Learning, 6(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00100-z

Sun, X., Nancekivell, S.E., Gelman, S.A., & Shah, P. (2021). Perception about the Malleability of Fluid Versus Crystallized Intelligence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 150(5), 815-827. http://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000980

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022-2023)
Stanley E. and Ruth B. Dimond Best Dissertation Award (2022)
Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship (2020-2021)
Rackham International Research Award (2019)