Rachel S. Y. Chen

Prior to joining NTU as Assistant Professor, I was formally trained in Linguistics and received my Ph.D. in Special Education studying the interactions of non-speaking autistic individuals. My research bridges diverse but complementary disciplinary approaches from Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Learning Sciences, Music Cognition, Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis, Gesture Studies, and Movement Sciences with clinical/educational practices. With a focus on disability and neurodiversity, I integrate video- and micro-analyses of everyday embodied interaction with the ethical design of new therapeutic tools for human perception, action, and communication. My research subverts normative modes of experiencing and interacting, and surfaces the diverse communicative practices of those whose expressive actions are often marginalized. Apart from research, my art practice includes improvising on the violin, song-writing, and tinkering with interactive technologies, all of which have directly influenced my work.