Research Interests

My research lies at the intersection of auditory cognitive neuroscience and the cognitive neuroscience of speech and language. I am particularly interested in how the human brain represents and processes speech and other auditory information over time, with a focus on speech perception and comprehension, auditory processing, and speech recognition in complex listening environments.

My research combines psychophysics with neuroimaging and electrophysiological methods, including electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), intracranial electrophysiology, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

My work has been published in journals including eLife, Cognition, NeuroImage, Cerebral Cortex, Imaging Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Journal of Neurolinguistics, and Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. My research has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Beijing Social Science Foundation, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, and Beijing Language and Culture University.

Publications

* Corresponding author; # Co-first author

Luo, L., Zhang, X., & Lu, L.* (2026). Multiple motor systems spontaneously track speech structures at distinct levels with individual variability. Cognition, 276, 106666.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2026.106666

Lin, L., & Lu, L.* (2026). Temporal dynamics of auditory compound word processing in Chinese. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 79, 101349.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2026.101349

Wang, Y., Lu, L., Ma, L., Zou, Q.*, & Gao, J.-H.* (2026). Sleeping brain oscillates with intensity-induced auditory rhythm. NeuroImage, 332, 121910.

Lu, L.*, Bao, X., Zheng, L., & Luo, L. (2026). Discovering emotion in a cocktail party: How emotional learning shapes neural dynamics in speech-on-speech masking. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 69(5), 1944–1954.
https://doi.org/10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00844

Lu, L., Luo, L., Li, S., Xu, N., Wang, X., Luan, G., Wang, Q.*, & Gao, J.-H.* (2026). Intracranial mapping of linguistic structure building during listening speech comprehension. Imaging Neuroscience, 4, IMAG.a.1158.
https://doi.org/10.1162/IMAG.a.1158

An, J., Song, Y., Yang, R., Ding, N., Lu, L., Wang, Y., Wang, W., Zhuang, C., Wang, Q.*, & Fang, F.* (2025). Hierarchical Frequency Tagging Probe (HFTP): A unified approach to investigate syntactic structure representations in large language models and the human brain. The Thirty-Ninth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS), San Diego, USA.

Chen, L.*, Jin, Y., Ge, Z., Li, L., & Lu, L.* (2025). Less meaningful the understanding, the faster the feeling: Speech comprehension changes perceptual speech tempo. Cognitive Science, 49, e70037.
https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70037

Lu, L.*, Wu, D., Zhang, X., & Chen, L. (2025). Linguistic processing of unattended speech under a cocktail party listening scenario. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 68(1), 69–78.
https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00404

Zheng, L.#, Liao, P.#, Wu, X., Cao, M., Cui, W., Lu, L., Xu, H., Zhu, L., Lyu, B., Wang, X., Teng, P., Wang, J., Vogrin, S., Plummer, C., Luan, G.*, & Gao, J.-H.* (2023). An artificial intelligence-based pipeline for automated detection and localization of epileptic sources from magnetoencephalography. Journal of Neural Engineering, 20(4).

Xu, N., Qin, X., Zhou, Z., Shan, W., Ren, J., Yang, C., Lu, L.*, & Wang, Q.* (2023). Age differentially modulates the cortical tracking of lower and higher level linguistic structures during speech comprehension. Cerebral Cortex, 33(19), 10463–10474.

Lu, L.*, Deng, Y., Xiao, Z., Jiang, R., & Gao, J.-H. (2023). Neural signatures of hierarchical linguistic structures in second language listening comprehension. eNeuro, 10(6), ENEURO.0346-22.2023.

Luo, L., & Lu, L.* (2023). Studying rhythm processing in speech through the lens of auditory-motor synchronization. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17, 1146298.

Lu, L., Han, M., Zou, G., Zheng, L., & Gao, J.-H.* (2023). Common and distinct neural representations of imagined and perceived speech. Cerebral Cortex, 33(10), 6486–6493.

Kong, L.#, Wang, M.#, Wu, D., & Lu, L.* (2023). Reduced neural tracking of speech linguistic structures in children. PsyCh Journal, 12(1), 161–163.

Wang, Y., Lu, L.*, Zou, G., Zheng, L., Qin, L., Zou, Q.*, & Gao, J.-H.* (2022). Disrupted neural tracking of sound localization during non-rapid eye movement sleep. NeuroImage, 260, 119490.

Lu, L., Sheng, J., Liu, Z., & Gao, J.-H.* (2021). Neural representations of imagined speech revealed by frequency-tagged magnetoencephalography responses. NeuroImage, 229, 117724.

Lu, L., Ding, Y., Xue, C., & Li, L.* (2021). Negative emotions in the target speaker’s voice enhance speech recognition under “cocktail-party” environments. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 83, 247–259.

Wang, J., Chen, J., Yang, X., Liu, L., Wu, C., Lu, L., Li, L., & Wu, Y.* (2021). Common brain substrates underlying auditory speech priming and perceived spatial separation. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 664985.

Liu, Z., Nan, Y., Lu, L., Cui, W., Ge, J.*, & Gao, J.-H.* (2020). Cross-domain effect of pitch processing in lexical and melodic contexts reflected by non-musicians: An MEG study. Human Behaviour and Brain, 1(7), 85–90.

Liu, Z., Shu, S., Lu, L., Ge, J.*, & Gao, J.-H.* (2020). Spatiotemporal dynamics of predictive brain mechanisms during speech processing: An MEG study. Brain and Language, 203, 104755.

Lu, L., Wang, Q., Sheng, J., Liu, Z., Qin, L., Li, L., & Gao, J.-H.* (2019). Neural tracking of speech mental imagery during rhythmic inner counting. eLife, 8, e48971.

Wu, C., Ding, Y., Chen, B., Gao, Y., Wang, Q., Wu, Z., Lu, L., Luo, L., Zhang, C., Bao, X., Yang, P., Fan, L., Lei, M., & Li, L.* (2019). Both Val158Met polymorphism of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase gene and menstrual cycle affect prepulse inhibition but not attentional modulation of prepulse inhibition in younger-adult females. Neuroscience, 404, 396–406.

Lu, L., Bao, X., Chen, J., Qu, T., Wu, X., & Li, L.* (2018). Emotionally conditioning the target-speech voice enhances recognition of target speech under “cocktail-party” listening conditions. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 80(4), 871–883.

Lu, L., Zhang, C., & Li, L.* (2017). Mental imagery of face enhances face-sensitive event-related potentials to ambiguous visual stimuli. Biological Psychology, 129, 16–24.

Kong, L., Xie, Z., Lu, L., Qu, T., Wu, X., Yan, J., & Li, L.* (2015). Similar impacts of the interaural delay and interaural correlation on binaural gap detection. PLOS ONE, 10(6), e0126342.

Zhang, C., Lu, L., Wu, X., & Li, L.* (2014). Attentional modulation of the early cortical representation of speech signals in informational or energetic masking. Brain and Language, 135, 85–95.

Kong, L., Xie, Z., Lu, L., Wu, X., & Li, L.* (2012). Sensitivity to a break in interaural correlations comodulated by intensity level and interaural delay. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 132(2), 114–118.

Publications in Chinese

Lu, L.*, Chen, L., & Jin, Y. (2023). Effects of voice onset time on the categorical perception of stop consonants in native and non-native Chinese speakers. Psychology: Techniques and Applications, 11(11), 641–649.

Li, L., Zheng, Y., Wu, C., Li, J., Zhang, C., & Lu, L. (2017). Brain network mechanisms underlying the use of perceptual unmasking cues to improve speech recognition in cocktail-party listening environments. Advances in Psychological Science, 25(12), 2099–2110.

Patent

Gao, J.-H., & Lu, L. (2020). A brain-computer interface method and system using endogenous frequency tagging to characterize brain signals. Chinese Patent No. 201910418425.7.

Research Grants and Projects

Key Member, Chinese School-Age Children Brain and Cognitive Development Cohort Study, Science and Technology Innovation 2030 – “Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence” Major Project, Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2021–2026).

Principal Investigator, Rapid Neural Tracking of Hierarchical Linguistic Structures in Preschool Children, Young Scientists Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 2022.

Principal Investigator, Neural Mechanisms of Hierarchical Language Processing in Chinese Language Learners, Beijing Social Science Foundation, 2022.

Principal Investigator, Cognitive and Empirical Investigation of Chinese Language Acquisition in Local Learners, Key Research Project in International Chinese Language Education, Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Ministry of Education, 2022.

Principal Investigator, Cognitive Mechanisms of Speech Recognition in Complex Listening Environments, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2024.

Principal Investigator, Neural Mechanisms of Naturalistic Verbal Interaction Using Hyperscanning, Innovation Team Development Program, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2023.

Principal Investigator, Neural Mechanisms of Hierarchical Language Processing, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2023.

Principal Investigator, Cognitive Neuroscience of Chinese as a Second Language Acquisition, Advanced Discipline Development Program, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2022.

Principal Investigator, Curriculum Development Project for Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2022.

Principal Investigator, Neural Mechanisms Underlying Complex Speech Imagery, Doctoral Research Start-up Fund, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2020.

Principal Investigator, Neural Mechanisms of Auditory Speech Imagery, General Program, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2018.

Project Member, Clinical Research and Integrated Platform for Neurological Disorders, Beijing Science and Technology Program / Northern Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Research, 2018.

Project Member, Key Brain Mechanisms of the Cocktail Party Effect, General Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 2018.

Teaching

Graduate Courses

Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
Topics in Auditory Speech Perception
Fundamentals and Practice of Auditory Experiments
Introduction to Speech and Hearing Sciences

Undergraduate Courses

Physiological Psychology
Brain and Cognition