Language · Brain · Computation

Chengcheng
WANG.

PhD Student in Linguistics
City University of Hong Kong

Email ORCID GitHub

Hong Kong 香港

Exploring how we make sense of language.

Research portfolio / 2026

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About

I study language at the intersection of the human brain and computational models.

I am a PhD student in Linguistics at City University of Hong Kong, supervised by Ashley Lewis.

My research in computational neurolinguistics brings together linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science to explore how humans and large language models process language. I am particularly interested in computational simulations of language disorders, and in how multimodal information is represented in the brain during naturalistic comprehension.

Language & the brainMultimodal modelsAphasia simulationsNaturalistic neuroimaging

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Publications

Articles, chapters
& preprints

2026Conference paper · Accepted

Non-literal meaning representation in the brain during naturalistic listening

Ma, Z., Huang, Y., Wang, C., & Li, J.

Society for Computation in Linguistics (SCIL 2026). Accepted April 29, 2026.

2025Book chapter

MRI Datasets for Language Processing

Li, J., Ma, Z., & Wang, C.

International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 3rd edition. Elsevier. Published December 30, 2025.

2025Journal article

Naturalistic fMRI and MEG recordings during viewing of a reality TV show

Li, J., Wang, Q., Wang, Y., Wang, C., Ma, Z., Xu, R., Feng, S., Jiang, X., & Meng, Z.

Scientific Data, 12, 1809.

2024Journal article

Le Petit Prince Hong Kong (LPPHK): Naturalistic fMRI and EEG data from older Cantonese speakers

Momenian, M., Ma, Z., Wu, S., Wang, C., Brennan, J., Hale, J., Meyer, L., & Li, J.

Scientific Data, 11, 992.

2025Preprint

Emergent modularity in large language models: Insights from aphasia simulations

Wang, C., Fan, Z., Han, Z., Bi, Y., & Li, J.

bioRxiv.

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Presentations

Conversations across
disciplines & places

2026CCN

Neural Encoding and Reinstatement of Multimodal Information during Naturalistic Viewing

Wang, C., & Li, J.

Poster · Cognitive Computational Neuroscience

August 3–6, 2026 · New York University, New York, USA

2026PERL

Model-brain alignment of video, audio, and text representations in fMRI and MEG

Wang, C., Ma, Z., Wang, Y., & Li, J.

Poster · Greater Bay PERL Third Meeting

June 5, 2026 · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

2026PERL

Shared and domain-specific neural dynamics of narrative comprehension and mathematical reasoning

Wang, Y., Ma, Z., Wang, C., & Li, J.

Poster · Greater Bay PERL Third Meeting

June 5, 2026 · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

2026PERL

Non-literal Meaning Representation in the Brain during Naturalistic Listening

Ma, Z., Huang, Y., Wang, C., & Li, J.

Poster · Greater Bay PERL Third Meeting

June 5, 2026 · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

2025SfN

Simulating aphasic behavior with multimodal large language models

Wang, C., & Li, J.

Poster · Society for Neuroscience

November 15–19, 2025 · San Diego, USA

2025CNS

Model-brain alignment of video, audio, and text representations in fMRI and MEG

Wang, C., Ma, Z., Wang, Y., & Li, J.

Poster · 19th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society

September 25–28, 2025 · Xi’an, China

2025CNS

Neural correlates of narrative comprehension and mathematical problem solving

Wang, Y., Ma, Z., Wang, C., & Li, J.

Poster · 19th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society

September 25–28, 2025 · Xi’an, China

2025CCN

Finding Modularity in Large Language Models: Insights from Aphasia Simulations

Wang, C., & Li, J.

Poster · Cognitive Computational Neuroscience

August 12–15, 2025 · University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2025CrossLing

Naturalistic fMRI and MEG recordings during viewing of a reality TV show

Wang, C., Ma, Z., Wang, Y., & Li, J.

Poster · International Workshop on Cross-linguistic Databases and Norms

May 31–June 1, 2025 · East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

2024SNL

Functional specificity in multimodal large language models and the human brain

Wang, C., Fan, Z., Han, Z., Bi, Y., & Li, J.

Poster · Society for the Neurobiology of Language

October 24–26, 2024 · Brisbane, Australia · Trainee Scholarship Award

2023AMLaP Asia

Syntactic information drives language models’ alignment with human comprehension processes

Ma, Z., Wang, C., & Li, J.

Oral presentation · Architectures and Mechanisms for Language Processing

December 1–3, 2023 · Hong Kong

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Background

Education & experience

2023 — Present

PhD in Linguistics

City University of Hong Kong

September 2023–present · Computational Neurolinguistics
Advisor: Ashley Lewis

2022 — 2023

M.A. in Language Studies

City University of Hong Kong

September 2022–October 2023

July 2023

Computational Neuroscience Summer School

Neuromatch Academy

2017 — 2021

B.A. in Japanese

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

September 2017–July 2021 · Wuhan, China

March — April 2019

Exchange Student & Intern

Muroran Institute of Technology · Japan

Awards & honors

Outstanding Academic Performance Award
City University of Hong Kong · 2025–2026

Trainee Scholarship Award
Society for the Neurobiology of Language · 2024

PhD Studentship
City University of Hong Kong · 2023–present

Languages

Mandarin Chinese · Native
English · Fluent
Japanese · Proficient

Keep in touch

Let’s exchange ideas.

chengcheng.wang@my.cityu.edu.hk

CV · 2026 edition PDF

ChengchengWANG.

About

Publications

Non-literal meaning representation in the brain during naturalistic listening

MRI Datasets for Language Processing

Naturalistic fMRI and MEG recordings during viewing of a reality TV show ↗

Le Petit Prince Hong Kong (LPPHK): Naturalistic fMRI and EEG data from older Cantonese speakers ↗

Emergent modularity in large language models: Insights from aphasia simulations

Presentations

Neural Encoding and Reinstatement of Multimodal Information during Naturalistic Viewing

Model-brain alignment of video, audio, and text representations in fMRI and MEG

Shared and domain-specific neural dynamics of narrative comprehension and mathematical reasoning

Non-literal Meaning Representation in the Brain during Naturalistic Listening

Simulating aphasic behavior with multimodal large language models

Model-brain alignment of video, audio, and text representations in fMRI and MEG

Neural correlates of narrative comprehension and mathematical problem solving

Finding Modularity in Large Language Models: Insights from Aphasia Simulations

Naturalistic fMRI and MEG recordings during viewing of a reality TV show

Functional specificity in multimodal large language models and the human brain

Syntactic information drives language models’ alignment with human comprehension processes

Background

PhD in Linguistics

M.A. in Language Studies

Computational Neuroscience Summer School

B.A. in Japanese

Exchange Student & Intern

Awards & honors

Languages

Let’s exchange ideas.

Chengcheng
WANG.

Naturalistic fMRI and MEG recordings during viewing of a reality TV show

Le Petit Prince Hong Kong (LPPHK): Naturalistic fMRI and EEG data from older Cantonese speakers