缅北禁地

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Staff Profile

Dr Kai Alter

Senior Lecturer

  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 8394
  • Address: Biosciences Institute
    The Medical School
    Framlington Place
    University of 缅北禁地
    缅北禁地 upon Tyne NE2 4HH
    UK
Background

Introduction

After my studies in Linguistics and Phonetics in Leipzig, Lausanne and Geneva I finished my PhD-thesis on French intonation in 1993. Since 1995 I participated to built up a speaking computer (Concept-to-Speech system) at the Austrian Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Vienna. From 1997 I focussed my research on the Human Brain at the Max-Planck Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig. In 1999 I was appointed by the President of the Max-Planck Society as Independent Junior Research Group Leader and worked with my own group on 'Neurocognition of Prosody' using EEG, MEG, and fMRI.

Qualifications

2002 Habilitation University of Leipzig
1994 PhD Linguistics University of Leipzig
1993 post-grade Linguistics University of Geneva
1993 post-grade Phonetics University of Lausanne
1990 Master Linguistics University of Leipzig
1988 Master Russian Language University of Belgorod

Current Position

Senior Lecturer in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience, 缅北禁地, Institute of Neuroscience

Affiliated Lecturer at the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics (MMLL) and the Languages Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Centre at the University of Cambridge

Awards

Oxford Visiting Senior Research Fellowship, Language&Brain Lab, Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics; 06/2015 – 09/2017

Associate Member of Laboratorio de Fonetica & Lisbon Baby Lab, Dept. Linguistica, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa, since March 2017

Research Associate at the Tuebingen University Hospital for Psychiatry since September 2017

Convenor, Cross-Faculty Phonetics and Phonology Research Group, since July 2017

Independent Junior Research Group Leader at the Max-Planck Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences appointed by the President of the Max-Planck Society; 06/1999 – 06/2004


Languages

English
French
German
Russian


Research

I am involved in auditory neuroscience leading several projects on speech and language processing employing different behavioural and neuro-imaging methods in both healthy volunteers and patients. In 2015, I have been awarded a Visiting Senior Fellowship at the University of Oxford. In 2021 I have been awarded grant of title as Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge.

I have more than 130 publications including about 100 journal papers and enjoy more than 6600 citations (h-index 42). Overall, I have co-supervised 22 PhD students and 8 PDRAs. I am currently co-supervising 5 PhD students and 1 PDRA.

During the past 12 years, I have been awarded with international and national grants at a value of £1.8Million.


Research Interests

Cognitive Neuroscience

• Comparison between language and music processing

• Neurocognition of prosody and intonation in children with Lisbon University (Sonia Frota)

• Neurocognition of prosody with University of Cambridge (Brechtje Post)

• Turn taking in communication (with Laurence White at 缅北禁地)

• Tinnitus and EEG (with Will Sedley at 缅北禁地)

• Dyslexia and working memory (with Ghada Khattab and Faye Smith at 缅北禁地)

• Laughter and Brain (with Dirk Wildgruber at Tuebingen University/GE)


Auditory processing

• developmental aspects of speech & language processing

• speech segmentation on phrase and discourse level using ERPs and fMRI

• processing of durational, tonal, and spectral properties related to voice


I am interested in brain responses during auditory processing in speech and language and music with respect to prosodic and emotional information. I am also involved in auditory processing in patients suffering from Tinnitus using behavioral and EEG measures.


Other Expertise

I have acted as a reviewer for national and international Research Foundations (Human Frontier Science Program, ERC, German Research Foundation, Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, Austrian Research Foundation, French Research Foundation; MRC, ASRC, ESRC, Wellcome Trust etc.) and for international journals.

I am co-Convenor of the cross-Faculty Research Group on Phonetics and Phonology at 缅北禁地 (with Ghada Khattab and Rory Turnbull from 缅北禁地).

I was awarded a Honorary appointment as Research Associate in Neurology by the NHS Trust in 缅北禁地 allowing to continue my work with neurological patients.

Teaching

I am Module Leader for 'Physiology of Speech and Language' and 'Language Pathology'.

I am teaching future Speech and Language Therapists.

I am also teaching Neuroscience: from cell to cognition.

Publications

  • Articles

    • Altin B, Colak H, Maskery C, Alter K, Sedley W. . Frontiers in Neuroscience 2026, 19, 1679647.
    • Yukhnovich EA, Alter K, Sedley W. . JARO - Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology 2025, 26, 33-47.
    • Umashankar A, Gander P, Alter K, Sedley W. . Hearing Research 2025, 463, 109299.
    • Yukhnovich EA, Harrison S, Wray N, Alter K, Sedley W. . Hearing Research 2025, 464, 109335.
    • Yue J, Bastiaanse R, Howard D, Alter K. . Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 2024, 77(5), 1125-1135.
    • Yukhnovich EA, Alter K, Sedley W. . PLoS ONE 2023, 18(8), e0289062.
    • Jennings JL, Peraza LR, Baker M, Alter K, Taylor J-P, Bauer R. . Alzheimer's Research and Therapy 2022, 14(1), 90.
    • Griffiths TD, Alter K, Shinn-Cunningham B. . eLife 2020, 9, e55749.
    • Silva S, Vigário M, LeoneFernandez B, Jerónimo R, Alter K, Frota S. . Frontiers in Psychology 2019, 10, 681.
    • Susilaradeya D, Xu W, Hall T, Galán F, Alter K, Jackson A. . eLife 2019, 8, e40145.
    • Sedley W, Alter K, Gander P, Berger J, Griffiths T. . Journal of Neuroscience 2019, 39(50), 10096-10103.
    • Liu X, Xu Y, Alter K, Tuomainen J. . Frontiers in Psychology 2018, 9, 737.
    • Yue J, Alter K, Howard D, Bastiaanse R. . Language, Cognition and Neuroscience 2017, 32(9), 1148-1163.
    • Attaheri A, Kikuchi Y, Milne AE, Wilson B, Alter K, Petkov CI. . Brain and Language 2015, 148, 74-80.
    • Galan F, Baker MR, Alter K, Baker SN. . Human Brain Mapping 2015, 36(2), 643-654.
    • Henrich K, Alter K, Wiese R, Domahs U. . Brain and Language 2014, 136, 19-30.
    • Yue JX, Bastiaanse R, Alter K. . Brain and Language 2014, 139, 10-22.
    • Wildgruber D, Szameitat DP, Ethofer T, Brück C, Alter K, Grodd W, Kreifelts B. . PLoS One 2013, 8(5), e63441.
    • Roll M, Lindgren M, Alter K, Horne M. . Brain and Language 2012, 121(3), 267-272.
    • Furl N, Kumar S, Alter K, Durrant S, Shawe-Taylor J, Griffiths TD. . NeuroImage 2011, 54(3), 2267-2277.
    • Szameitat DP, Darwin CJ, Szameitat AJ, Wildgruber D, Alter K. . Journal of Voice 2011, 25(1), 32-37.
    • Szameitat DP, Darwin CJ, Wildgruber D, Alter K, Szameitat AJ. . Cognition & Emotion 2011, 25(4), 599-611.
    • Szameitat DP, Kreifelts B, Alter K, Szameitat AJ, Sterr A, Grodd W, Wildgruber D. . NeuroImage 2010, 53(4), 1264-1271.
    • Tervaniemi M, Kruck S, De Baene W, Schroger E, Alter K, Friederici AD. . European Journal of Neuroscience 2009, 30(8), 1636-1642.
    • Szameitat DP, Alter K, Szameitat AJ, Darwin CJ, Wildgruber D, Dietrich S, Sterr A. . Emotion 2009, 9(3), 397-405.
    • Szameitat DP, Alter K, Szameitat AJ, Wildgruber D, Sterr A, Darwin CJ. . Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2009, 126(1), 354-366.
    • Dietrich S, Hertrich I, Alter K, Ischebeck A, Ackermann H. . NeuroReport 2008, 19(18), 1751-1755.
    • Zaehle T, Geiser E, Alter K, Jancke L, Meyer M. . Brain Research 2008, 1220, 179-190.
    • Roopun AK, Cunningham MO, Racca C, Alter K, Traub RD, Whittington MA. . Schizophrenia Bulletin 2008, 34(5), 962-973.
    • Ischebeck A, Friederici A, Alter K. . Cerebral Cortex 2008, 18(3), 541-552.
    • Mietz A, Toepel U, Ischebeck A, Alter K. . Brain and Language 2008, 104(2), 159-169.
    • Dietrich S, Hertrich I, Alter K, Ischebeck A, Ackermann H. . NeuroReport 2007, 18(18), 1891-1894.
    • Stolterfoht B, Friederici A, Alter K, Steube A. . Cognition 2007, 104(3), 565-590.
    • Meyer M, Baumann S, Wildgruber D, Alter K. . Behavioural Brain Research 2007, 182(2), 245-260.
    • Meyer M, Baumann S, Wildgruber D, Alter K. . Behavioural Brain Research 2007, 182(2), 245-260.
    • Ashton H, Reid K, Marsh R, Johnson I, Alter K, Griffiths T. . Neuroscience Letters 2007, 426(1), 23-28.
    • Toepel U, Pannekamp A, Alter K. . Behavioral and Brain Functions 2007, 3(53), 13.
    • Heim S, Alter K. . Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis 2006, 66(1), 55-68.
    • Dietrich S, Ackermann H, Alter K. . Progress in Brain Research 2006, 156, 295-302.
    • Tervaniemi M, Szameitat A, Kruck S, Schröger E, Alter K, De Baene W, Friederici A. . Journal of Neuroscience 2006, 26(34), 8647-8652.
    • Sudhoff S, Lenertova D, Alter K. . Linguistische Arbeitsberichte 2005, 81, 159-180.
    • Heim S, Alter K, Ischebeck A, Amunts K, Eickhoff S, Mohlberg H, Zilles K, Von Cramon D, Friederici A. . Cognitive Brain Research 2005, 25(3), 982-993.
    • Pannekamp A, Toepel U, Alter K, Hahne A, Friederici AD. . Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2005, 17(3), 407-421.
    • Isel F, Alter K, Friederici AD. . Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2005, 17(1), 154-164.
    • Magne C, Astesano C, Lacheret-Dujour A, Morel M, Alter K, Besson M. . Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2005, 17(5), 740-756.
    • Knösche TR, Neuhaus C, Haueisen J, Maess B, Alter K, Friederici AD, Witte OW. . Human Brain Mapping 2005, 24(4), 259-273.
    • Isel F, Alter K, Friederici A. . Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2005, 17(1), 154-167.
    • Meyer M, Zysset S, Von Cramon D, Alter K. . Cognitive Brain Research 2005, 24(2), 291-306.
    • Heinke W, Fiebach CJ, Schwarzbauer C, Meyer M, Olthoff D, Alter K. . British Journal of Anaesthesia 2004, 92(5), 641-650.
    • Jacobsen T, Schroeger E, Alter K. . Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc 2004, 41(4), 654-659.
    • Friedrich C, Kotz SA, Friederici AD, Alter K. . Cognitive Brain Research 2004, 20(2), 300-308.
    • Friederici AD, Alter K. . Brain and Language 2004, 89(2), 267-276.
    • Astesano C, Besson M, Alter K. . Cognitive Brain Research 2004, 18(2), 172-184.
    • Meyer M, Steinhauer K, Alter K, Friederici AD, von Cramon DY. . Brain & Language 2004, 89(2), 277-289.
    • Meyer M, Alter K, Friederici AD. . Journal of Neurolinguistics 2003, 16(4-5), 277-300.
    • Herrmann CS, Friederici AD, Hahne A, Alter K. . Brain & Language 2003, 85(3), 396-401.
    • Lattner S, Maess B, Wang Y, Schauer M, Alter K, Friederici AD. . Human Brain Mapping 2003, 20(1), 13-21.
    • Kotz SA, Meyer M, Alter K, Besson M, von Cramon DY, Friederici AD. . Brain and Language 2003, 86(3), 366-376.
    • Alter K, Rank E, Kotz SA, Toepel U, Besson M, Schirmer A, Friederici AD. . Journal of Speech and Communication 2003, 40(1-2), 61-70.
    • Alter K. . Linguistische Arbeitsberichte 2002, 79, 255-275.
    • Alter K, Mleinek I, Umbach C, Rohe T, Steube A. . Linguistische Arbeitsberichte 2002, 77, 59-81.
    • Meyer M, Alter K, Friederici AD, Lohmann G, von Cramon DY. . Human Brain Mapping 2002, 17(2), 73-88.
    • Friedrich CK, Alter K, Kotz SA. . NeuroReport 2002, 12(15), 3189-3191.
    • Schirmer A, Alter K, Kotz SA, Friederici AD. . Brain and Language 2001, 76(1), 1-17.
    • Alter K, Steinhauer K. . Linguistische Arbeitsberichte 2000, 74, 9-24.
    • Steinhauer K, Alter K, Friederici AD. . Nature Neuroscience 1999, 2(2), 191-196.

  • Book Chapters

    • Alter K, Wildgruber D. . In: Pascal Belin and Sascha Fruehauf, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Voice Perception. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2018, pp.495-511.
    • Alter K. . In: Courtet,C;Besson,M;Lavocat,F;Viala,A, ed. Mises en intrigues. Paris: CNRS Editions, 2016, pp.199-210.
    • Szameitat D, Wildgruber D, Alter K. . In: Eckart Altenmüller, Sabine Schmidt, and Elke Zimmermann, ed. The Evolution of Emotional Communication From Sounds in Nonhuman Mammals to Speech and Music in Man: From Sounds in Nonhuman Mammals to Speech and Music in Man. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, pp.191-210.
    • Heim S, Alter K. . In: Späth A, ed. Interface and Interface Conditions. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2007, pp.277-298.
    • Dietrich S, Ackermann H, Szameitat DP, Alter K. . In: S. Anders, G. Ende, M. Junghofer, J. Kissler, D. Wildgruber, ed. Understanding emotions. Netherlands: Elsevier, 2006, pp.295-302.
    • Otten G, Féry C, Alter K. . In: Steube, A, ed. Information Structure. accepted: de Gryuter, 2006, pp.accepted.
    • Alter K. . In: Lacheret, A., Jacques, F, ed. Fonctions et moyens d'expression de la focalisation. Paris, France: Peeters Publishers, 2004, pp.115-136.
    • Hruska C, Alter K. . In: Steube, A, ed. Information structure: Theoretical and empirical evidence. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2004, pp.211-226.
    • Toepel U, Alter K. . In: Steube A, ed. Information structure: Theoretical and empirical evidence. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2004, pp.227-240.
    • Umbach C, Mleinek I, Lehmann Ch, Weskott T, Alter K, Steube A. . In: Steube, A, ed. Information Structure: Theoretical and Empirical Aspects. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2004, pp.277-306.
    • Steube A, Alter K, Spaeth A. . In: Steube A, ed. Information structure: theoretical and empirical evidence. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2004, pp.15-40.
    • Alter K. . In: Rickheit, G., Herrmann, T., Deutsch, W, ed. Psycholinguistics: An International Handbook. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter, 2003, pp.339-346.
    • Alter K. . In: Müller, H.M, ed. Arbeitsbuch Linguistik. Paderborn: UTB-Ferdinand Schöningh, 2002, pp.148-169.
    • Alter K, Buchberger E, Matiasek J, Niklfeld G, Trost H. . In: Gibbon D, ed. Natural Language Processing and Speech Technology. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1996.
    • Alter K, Matiasek J, Niklfeld G. . In: Gibbon D, ed. Natural Language Processing and Speech Technology. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1996.

  • Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

    • Bakkouche L, McGhee C, Lau E, Cooper S, Luo X, Rees M, Alter K, Post B, Schwarz J. . In: Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association, INTERSPEECH. 2025, Rotterdam, The Netherlands: International Speech Communication Association.
    • Post B, Alter K. . In: 18th ICPhS 2015 International Conference on Phonetic Sciences. 2015, Glasgow: University of Glasgow.
    • Derzsi Z, Tarawneh G, Alter K, Read J. . In: 38th European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP). 2015, Liverpool, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
    • Metcalfe C, Grube M, Gabriel D, Dietrich S, Ackermann H, Cook V, Hanson A, Alter K. . In: Brain Talk: Discourse with and in the brain: Papers from the First Birgit Rausing Language Program Conference in Linguistics. 2009, Center for Languages and Literature, Lund University: Lund: Media-Tryck.
    • Szameitat DP, Darwin CJ, Szameitat AJ, Wildgruber D, Sterr A, Dietrich S, Alter K. . In: Proceedings of the Workshop ‘Phonetics of laughter’. 2007, Saarbruecken, Germany.
    • Toepel U, Alter K. . In: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience: 12th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society. 2005, New York, USA: MIT Press.
    • Heim S, Alter K, Friederici A. . In: 2nd Vogt Brodmann Symposium - Convergence of Structure and Function. 2005, Julich, Germany: Anatomy and Embryology, Springer.
    • Augurzky P, Alter K, Pechmann T. . In: Proceedings of the Second CamLing Postgraduate Conference on Language Research. 2004, University of Cambridge, UK.
    • Alter K. Neurokognition der Sprachverarbeitung. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Nürnberger Medizinische Gesellschaft. 2004.
    • Alter K, Astésano C, Besson M. . In: Orality and Gestures. Interactions et comportements multimodaux dans la communication. 2004, Aix-en-Provence, France: l' Harmattan.
    • Alter K, Junghanns U. Topic related Prosodic patterns in Russian. In: Current Approaches To Formal Slavic Linguistics: Contributions Of The Second European Conference On Formal Description Of Slavic Languages. 2003, Potsdam, Germany: Peter Lang Pub Inc.
    • Toepel U, Alter K. . In: International Conference on Phonetic Sciences. 2003, Barcelona, Spain.
    • Kruck S, Berti S, Hies T, Alter K. . In: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society: 26th Annual International Neuropsychological Society Mid-Year Conference organized as a Joint Meeting with the Society for Neuropsychology (GNP). 2003, Berlin, Germany: Cambridge University Press.
    • Alter K, Mleinek I, Richter N. . In: Formal Description of Slavic Languages III. 2002, Leipzig.
    • Toepel U, Alter K. . In: Speech Prosody. 2002, Aix-en-Provence, France.
    • Kruck ST, Alter K. . In: Fortschritte der Akustik: Plenarvorträge und Fachbeiträge der 28. Deutschen Jahrestagung für Akustik (DAGA). 2002, Bochum, Germany: Oldenburg: DAGA.
    • Friedrich CK, Alter K, Kotz SA. . In: Speech Prosody. 2002, Aix-en-Provence, France.
    • Alter K, Meyer M, Steinhauer K, Friederici AD, von Cramon DY. . In: Linguistics on the way into to the third millenium. Part II: Language, Computer, and Society. 2002, Germersheim, Germany: Peter Lang.
    • Hruska C, Alter K, Steinhauer K, Steube A. . In: Orality and Gestures. Interactions et comportements multimodaux dans la communication. 2001, Aix-en-Provence, France: l'Harmattan.
    • Lattner S, Maess B, Friederici AD, Alter K. . In: VIIIth Conference on Nordic Prosody. 2001, Trondheim, Norway: Peter Lang.
    • Neubarth F, Alter K, Pirker H, Rieder E, Trost H. The Vienna prosodic speech corpus: Purpose, content and encoding. In: Proceedings: KONVENS 2000 (TU Ilmenau), Berlin: VDE Verlag. 2000.
    • Alter, K., Schirmer, A., Kotz, S.A. & Friederici, A.D. Prosodic phrasing and accentuation in speech production of patients with right hemisphere lesions. In: Proceedings: 6th European Conference on Speech Communication and Technology. 1999, Budapest, Hungary.
    • Alter K, Rank E, Kotz SA, Pfeifer E, Besson M, Friederici AD. . In: Proceedings: 14th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS). 1999, San Francisco, USA: Lingustics Department, University of California.
    • Alter, K., Matiasek, J., Steinhauer, K., Pirker, H. & Friederici, A.D. Exploiting Syntactic Dependencies for German Prosody: Evidence from Speech Production and Perception. In: In: B. Schröder, W. Lenders, W. Hess & T. Portele (Eds.), Computer Studies in Language and Speech, Frankfurt/Main: Peter Lang. 1998.
    • Alter, K., Steinhauer, K. & Friederici, A.D. De-accentuation: Linguistic Environments and Prosodic Realizations. In: Proceedings: 5th International Conference on Spoken Language Processing. 1998, Sydney, Australia.
    • Alter, K. & Pirker, H. On the specification of sentence initial f0-patterns in German. In: Proceedings: ESCA workshop "Intonation: Theory, models and applications. 1997, Athena, Greece.
    • Alter, K. Discovering time structure in German. In: Proceedings of Nordic Prosody VII. 1996, Joensuu, Finland.
    • Niklfeld, G. & Alter, K. Covering prosody in concept-to-speech via an extended two-level- phonology component. In: Computational Phonology in Speech Technology - Second Meeting of the ACL Special Interest Group in Computational Phonology. 1996, (University of California, Santa Cruz, Association for Computational Linguistics).

  • Edited Book

    • Alter K, Horne M, Lindgren M, Roll M, von Koss Torkildsen J, ed. . Lund: Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University, 2009.

  • Editorial

    • Alter K. . Physics of Life Reviews 2011, 8(4), 406-407.

  • Thesis

    • Kai Alter. Prosodie zwischen Sprachproduktion und Perzeption. 2002.
    • Kai Alter. Die franzoesischen Interrogative und Exklamative 'French interrogatives and exclamations' PhD dissertation. 1993.