Dr. Zed Sehyr

Dr. Zed Sehyr is an Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders in the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University. She earned her Ph.D. from University College London (UCL) in Cognitive, Perceptual, and Brain Sciences. Her research centers at the intersection of linguistics, cognition, and neuroscience. Her research examines the neuroplasticity of pathways dedicated to language and visual processing as a consequence of sensory-motor and linguistic experiences. Language is the focal point of Dr. Sehyr’s investigations, placing an emphasis on the study of sign languages and their users, recognizing their pivotal role in advancing our understanding of universal aspects of human language and communication. Dr. Sehyr has co-created an award-winning lexical database for American Sign Language (ASL-LEX.org). She collaborates with computer vision scientists in leveraging linguistic insights and machine learning algorithms to advance the study of language and neurocognition. Dr. Sehyr is committed to advocating for the empowerment and inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented communities in STEM and in academia.