I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of English Language and Literature, Academy of Language and Culture, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University.

I received my Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Maryland, specializing in first language acquisition. After graduation, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at Boston University, and then in the School of Philosophy and the Department of Linguistics at the University of Southern California. I then joined the Brain and Mind Institute at the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a Research Assistant Professor, before taking up my current post.

As a researcher, I study the human language, asking how it is structured, how it is learned by human babies, and how it is used by human adults. I consider language as a revealing window into the human cognitive system. My field is inherently interdisciplinary, enriched by insights from linguistics, psychology, philosophy, neurosciences, computer sciences, communication sciences, and more. This is why I have made several stops at different departments/institutes. In my work, I always take an interdisciplinary approach, and I always look forward to interdisciplinary collaboration. Expertise from different areas makes one and one greater than two.

As a teacher, my overarching goal is to enrich the wisdom of both my students and myself. I aim to not only impart my knowledge and insights but also to share my inquiries and uncertainties. Teaching is a two-way street---while it illuminates the minds of students, it equally enlightens the educator. Through the act of teaching, I find that my own understanding is reinforced, my thoughts become deepened, and my uncertainties gain clarity. Indeed, while I teach, I am also happily learning. 

Beyond research and teaching, I am dedicated to serving both academia and the public. As a reviewer of scholarly articles/grants and academic event organizer, I uphold scientific excellence. Additionally, I engage the public with new scientific insights through events and articles. My overarching goal is to integrate academic research with societal enrichment, nurturing an informed community.