Serine Avetisyan
Psycholinguist | Researcher | Data Analyst
I’m a psycholinguist with a PhD that explored the relationship between working memory and sentence comprehension. When we read or listen, we process sentences one word at a time—relying on memory to connect what we’re hearing or reading with what came before. My research focused on the memory cues we use to match verbs with their grammatical subjects (basically, figuring out who’s doing what), using Eastern Armenian as a test language.
While I love addressing theoretical questions, I’m also drawn to research with real-world impact. Between 2021 and 2023, I partnered with Armenia’s Education Inspection Body (EIB) to design and lead a pilot study assessing reading comprehension among 4th graders across the country. The project laid the foundation for EIB’s annual literacy assessments.
And in the midst of it all, I’ve been raising my baby girl—who’s now growing into her relative independence and giving me the chance to pursue new research opportunities.