Denise Klein, McGill University

Research

Bilingualism Brain imaging Brain plasticity Cognition Cognitive Neuroscience Critical Periods Language learning Languages

Latest papers

Early but discontinued exposure to a language exerts lasting effects on white matter architecture in the brain.
Communications biology · 2025 · senior author
Efficient neural encoding as revealed by bilingualism.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
Enhanced efficiency in the bilingual brain through the inter-hemispheric cortico-cerebellar pathway in early second language acquisition.
Communications biology · 2024 · senior author

All 41 publications

Latest funding

Brain Plasticity and Language Learning
NSERC · 2020 · Principal investigator
$282,000
Brain plasticity and language learning
NSERC · 2014 · Principal investigator
$130,000
Bilingual speech processing
SSHRC · 2010 · Co-investigator
$174,363

All 7 grants and awards

41 publications.

01

Early but discontinued exposure to a language exerts lasting effects on white matter architecture in the brain.

Barbeau EB, Pierce L, Deschamps S, Kousaie S, Gilbert A, Chen JK, Baum S, Klein D

Communications biology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08954-4 PMID: 41249842

02

Efficient neural encoding as revealed by bilingualism.

Moore C, Donhauser PW, Klein D, Byers-Heinlein K

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2513768122 PMID: 40828024

03

Enhanced efficiency in the bilingual brain through the inter-hemispheric cortico-cerebellar pathway in early second language acquisition.

Gracia-Tabuenca Z, Barbeau EB, Kousaie S, Chen JK, Chai X, Klein D

Communications biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06965-1 PMID: 39390147

04

The importance of the dorsal branch of the arcuate fasciculus in phonological working memory.

Barbeau EB, Kousaie S, Brass K, Descoteaux M, Petrides M, Klein D

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad226 PMID: 37386707

05

Aberrant neurophysiological signaling associated with speech impairments in Parkinson's disease.

Wiesman AI, Donhauser PW, Degroot C, Diab S, Kousaie S, Fon EA, Klein D, Baillet S, PREVENT-AD Research Group, Quebec Parkinson Network

NPJ Parkinson's disease2023

DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00495-z PMID: 37059749

06

Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology, Epilepsy, 2022: Hills We Have Climbed and the Hills Ahead. Cognition and Sensory Systems in Healthy and Diseased Subjects.

Smith ML, Risse G, Sziklas V, Banks S, Small D, Frasnelli J, Klein D

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109119 PMID: 36804713

07

Restricted language access during childhood affects adult brain structure in selective language regions.

Cheng Q, Roth A, Halgren E, Klein D, Chen JK, Mayberry RI

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2023

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215423120 PMID: 36745780

08

Interhemispheric functional brain connectivity predicts new language learning success in adults.

Sander K, Chai X, Barbeau EB, Kousaie S, Petrides M, Baum S, Klein D

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac131 PMID: 35348627

09

Audio-Tokens: A toolbox for rating, sorting and comparing audio samples in the browser.

Donhauser PW, Klein D

Behavior research methods2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01803-w PMID: 35297013

10

Frontoparietal Anatomical Connectivity Predicts Second Language Learning Success.

Sander K, Barbeau EB, Chai X, Kousaie S, Petrides M, Baum S, Klein D

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab367 PMID: 34607363

Brain Plasticity and Language Learning

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Klein, Denise

Keywords: brain plasticity; brain imaging; language learning; critical periods; bilingualism; cognition; languages; speech perception; cognitive neuroscience; mri

$282,000

Brain plasticity and language learning

Principal investigatorNSERC2014Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Klein, Denise

$130,000

Bilingual speech processing

Co-investigatorSSHRC2010Standard Research Grants program

Principal investigators: Baum, Shari R.

Keywords: bilingualism; speech production; speech perception; neuroimaging

$174,363

The Consequences of Bilingualism in Healthy Older Adults For Cognitive Control, Language Processing, And Their Structural Brain Correlates

Co-investigatorCIHR2010Catalyst Grant: Pilot Projects in Aging - Biological & Clinical Aspects of Aging

Principal investigators: Titone, Debra

Keywords: Bilingualism; Cognitive Aging; Executive Function; Eye Movment Recordings; Language Production; Reading; Resting State Network Analysis; Spoken Language; Structural Neuroimaging; Working Memory And Inhibition

$50,000

Computational and statistical tools for image-guided neurosurgery of brain tumours

Co-investigatorNSERC2010Collaborative Health Research Projects

Principal investigators: Collins, DLouis

$314,099

Cerebral organization of language in the mother tongue and second languages

Principal investigatorNSERC2008Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Klein, Denise

$109,680

Cerebral organization of language in the mother tongue and second languages

Principal investigatorNSERC2003Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Klein, Denise

$125,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Neurology and Neurosurgery
Psychology
Bilingualism and Second Language Learning
Communication Sciences & Disorders
Biomedical Engineering
Other Library and Information Science
Informatique
Other

Co-authors at McGill University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Shari Baum

Bilingualism and Second Language Learning

8 shared papers, latest 2025

Debra Titone

Psychology

5 shared papers, latest 2022

Michael Petrides

Neurology and Neurosurgery

4 shared papers, latest 2023

Xiaoqian Chai

Neurology and Neurosurgery

4 shared papers, latest 2024

Fred Genesee

Faculty

2 shared papers, latest 2015

Roberta La Piana

Neurology and Neurosurgery

2 shared papers, latest 2019

Vincent Gracco

Communication Sciences & Disorders

2 shared papers, latest 2022

Sylvain Baillet

Neurology and Neurosurgery

2 shared papers, latest 2023

Pierre Jolicoeur

Psychologie

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Maxime Descoteaux

Informatique

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Krista Byers-Heinlein

Other Library and Information Science

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Lara Pierce

Psychology

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Virginia Penhune

Psychology

1 shared papers, latest 2020

Christophe Grova

Biomedical Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Boris Bernhardt

Neurology and Neurosurgery

1 shared papers, latest 2020

Pedro Rosa-Neto

Neurology and Neurosurgery

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2020

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Bilingualism Dear Professor Klein, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Early but discontinued exposure to a language exerts lasting effects on white matter architecture in the brain." (2025), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Brain Plasticity and Language Learning" (2020), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]