For many years my research has focused on the cognitive processes involved in visual word recognition, investigating what is universal in the reading process across diverse languages, and what aspects of reading are unique to each language's orthographic and morphological system. Within this framework I was especially intrigued by individual differences in ease or difficulty in mastering a second language. This work has led me to my current interest in statistical learning as an individual ability-- the capacity to detect regularities in the environment. Present research (ERC Advanced grant) focuses on statistical learning from a behavioral and neurobiological perspective, and its potential relevance to language learning. This research involves extensive collaboration with Haskins Laboratories in New Haven, and with the Basque Center for Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL). I am a research fellow at both.