Philip Lai, Ph.D.
Areas of Expertise
- Autism
- Communication Disorders
- Neuroscience
Education
Dr. Lai received his doctorate from the Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders at San Diego State University/University of California San Diego (2015). Dr. Lai received his Master's degree in Psychology from San Diego State University (2009) and his Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California San Diego (2005). Before coming to the University of Nebraska Kearney, Dr. Lai was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2017).
Teaching Areas
Dr. Lai teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Courses include preschool language disorders, typical language development, senior seminar on multiculturalism, neurological foundations, and graduate seminar on autism.
Research
Dr. Lai conducts research in the areas of social development, executive function, and cognitive development in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, Dr. Lai investigates both verbal as well as nonverbal communication during social interactions in various populations.
Professional Memberships
- Nebraska Academy of Sciences
- Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research
- Association for Psychological Science
- Cognitive Neuroscience Society
- Society for Neuroscience
