I Am a Researcher
Joyce Tang
Major: Cognitive Science, B.S.
College: John Muir College
UC San Diego graduation year: 2025
Which research programs/experiences have you been a part of?
- UC Scholars, 2025 Summer
What are you researching (or did you do in the past)?
My primary research interest lies in the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying language processing, with a particular focus on bilingual sentence processing. I am especially interested in how bilingual speakers manage and integrate linguistic information in real time, and how computational approaches can help us better understand these processes. During the UC Scholars program, I conducted an independent project on the pun production abilities of Large Language Models, which allowed me to explore language from a computational perspective and broaden my understanding of linguistic creativity and representation.
Why and how did you decide to get involved in undergraduate research?
I first became interested in cognition and the brain during my senior year of high school, when I realized how fascinating it was to study the neurological mechanisms behind human thought and language. This interest became more focused after I took a psycholinguistics course, which introduced me to research questions about bilingual’s language comprehension and processing. Wanting to explore these questions beyond the classroom, I joined a lab at the near end of my second year. Since then, I have worked as an undergraduate research assistant in three cognitive science labs. These experiences not only gave me training in research methods and data analysis, but also helped me understand what it means to ask meaningful research questions and pursue them through careful experimental design.
What has been the most exciting/interesting thing you've discovered through your research?
One of the most exciting things I discovered is that Large Language Models can generate pun jokes. What I found especially interesting was not simply that they could produce jokes, but that this ability raises deeper questions about language creativity, ambiguity resolution, and whether computational systems can approximate aspects of human linguistic behavior. This project made me think more seriously about the relationship between human cognition and computational models of language.
What did you gain from this program/experience?
This program helped me better understand that research begins with curiosity, but it also requires persistence, clarity, and intellectual discipline. Through the process of developing my project, refining my questions, and interpreting the results, I learned how important it is to turn a broad interest into a focused and researchable problem. More importantly, the experience strengthened my confidence in pursuing research as a career
What advice would you give to students starting research?
I would encourage students to take the time to find questions that genuinely matter to them, rather than feeling pressured to follow a path that works for others. Research takes patience, and growth often comes from uncertainty, revision, and trial and error. There is no single shortcut to becoming a researcher, but being intellectually curious, open to learning, and willing to stay with difficult questions can take you a long way. Also, it is always important to ask for support.
What are your future plans?
This spring, I will join a neuroscience lab at Stanford University as a post-bacc researcher, where I will study the neural mechanisms underlying speech processing. In the long term, I hope to continue pursuing research in language, cognition, and the brain, and eventually apply for a Ph.D. program in cognitive neuroscience or a related field.
Anything else you want to share?
As an international student, I know that entering research can sometimes feel unfamiliar or intimidating. Because of that, I especially want to encourage other students to seek out research opportunities early and give themselves the chance to explore what truly excites them. Undergraduate research has played a defining role in shaping both my academic interests and my future goals.
- Joyce Tang Profile