INFO
I am a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, where I study how language is represented in the brain, particularly in bilingual individuals. Relatedly, my interests also focus on how language processing interacts with broader cognitive systems, including memory and attention. I completed master's degrees in Brazil and Italy with top honours, and have conducted research across institutions in Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK, where I have explored topics in semantic processing, prediction in bilingual comprehension, and cognitive effects of bilingualism.
PUBLICATIONS
In preparation
Cruz, L. ... Peñaloza, C. Assessing cognition in bilinguals and monolinguals with mild cognitive impairment.
2026
Cruz, L., Melloni, C., Ciriaco, L.. Illusions of plausibility: the case of semantic attraction. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research.
2025
Tagliani, M., Cruz, L., Redolfi, M., Shirokorad, N., Canzi, M., Melloni, C., Vender, M. L2 learners take more time to catch the rhyme: An eye-tracking study on predictive processing. International Journal of Bilingualism.
2024
Cruz, L.D.A. Semantic attraction in Italian: an experimental study on some underlying functional factors. Master's thesis.
TALKS
2025
15th International Symposium on Bilingualism: 'Assessing the effects of bilingualism on cognition in mild cognitive impairment: a comparison of age of onset and verbal fluency between bilinguals and monolinguals' (with Laura Casas, Immaculada Rico, Nuria Rojo, Jordi Gascón, Jaume Campdelacreu, Ramón Reñé, Xim Cerda-Company & Claudia Peñaloza)
2025
ConSOLE 33: 'Illusions of plausibility are modulated by feature sharing and memory overload: the case of semantic attraction'
2024
IX Simpósio Mundial de Estudos de Língua Portuguesa: 'A construção "cortei o cabelo" no PB' (with Isabella Maciel)
2024
VII Simpósio Internacional de Linguística Funcional: 'Semantic attraction in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian: an experimental study on some underlying functional factors' (with Isabella Maciel)
2024
VII Simpósio Internacional de Linguística Funcional: 'A construção "cortei o cabelo" no PB' (with Isabella Maciel)
2023
Grenoble Winter School in Cognitive Linguistics: 'Agreement attraction in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian: an investigation of syntactic and semantic factors on agreement processing'
2022
9th Annual Scarborough Undergraduate Linguistics: 'Code-switching processing in early and late bilinguals: an investigation using the maze task'
2022
2nd Linguistics Summer School in Bolivia: 'Code-switching processing in early and late bilinguals: an investigation using the maze task'
2021
1º SEFOPLI: 'A aplicabilidade das diretrizes da BNCC no contexto de ensino médio: um estudo de caso numa escola pública em Recife'
2020
68th StuTS: 'Multimodal meaning-making in social distancing times: an analysis of the videoconferencing tool Zoom as a digital classroom' (with Camila Medeiros)
POSTERS
2026
Bilingualism Matters Conference: 'Proficiency Shapes Prediction: Semantic and Phonological Cue Integration in L1 and L2 Sentence Processing'
2022
The International Max Planck Research School: 'Is AoA a relevant variable to account for code-switching processing?'
2020
32ª Semana de Letras da UNESP: 'Fazer-sentido multimodal: uma análise da plataforma de videoconferência Zoom' (with Camila Medeiros)
INVITED TALKS
2024
1st FURIGLO: 'Semantic attraction in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian: an experimental study on some underlying functional factors'
2020
IVEC Conference: 'Student voices: Visions of the Future through Past and Present Insights'